Go back a decade or so and it’s unlikely that this
sort of show would actually exist. Such is the huge popularity of the Beeb’s
Strictly Come Dancing though that you’ll now find a number of its professional
dancers cha cha cha-ing out and about on tours of their own (on top of the ever
popular post season celeb arena shows). Of course part of the Strictly appeal
is watching the celebs tackle the dances (with varying degrees of success). Stripped of this element how would a ‘proper’ dance show compare for sheer
entertainment value? Wisely the producers have tapped in to the sometimes more light
hearted element of Strictly with the addition of a comedic old couple who run
the bar that acts as the setting for the entire show. Brilliantly played with
real pathos by Tricia Deighton and Anthony Renshaw they bookend the show, starting
off as the archetypal bickering man and wife who’ve been married forever and a day before
gradually rediscovering their love as Vincent and Flavia’s own relationship is
tested in the sizzling bar room setting. Ahhhh bless.
Speaking of the setting the
set itself – an authentic looking old school Argentinean bar – is particularly convincing and given the unseasonably warm temperatures outside it didn’t take a huge amount
of imagination to believe you were in Buenos Aires rather than Brum. As it’s
there all the time there’s also substance to it that multi-set shows lack and I
was half tempted to wander up on to the stage for a cheeky rum or two after the
performance...
It’s the fusion of music and dance though that everyone’s
here to see though and thanks to the show’s band Tango Siempre (an existing group
that’s been playing tango music across the world since 1998) the accompaniment
is more than a match for the world class dancers. Acclaimed violinist Ros
Stephen drives much of the music, teasing some truly exquisite (and downright
sexy) sounds from her instrument. The band’s joined by caramel voiced singer
Miguel Angel on some of the numbers too. Born in Puerto Rico he’s perfectly at home
at the heart of the show and, although I didn’t understand a word of the lyrics, you don’t need to a degree in Spanish to get what he’s on about. Ahem.
Vincent and Flavia are well known to millions of
course and the heat between the pair is enough to melt the glasses behind the
bar.
The other dancers are every bit as impressive though and at times it was
difficult to know which pair of gazelle like legs being wrapped around which pert,
manly bottom to watch.
What little I know about great tango is taken from
Strictly’s gloriously camp panel of experts but newcomers to the whole thing
couldn’t fail to be impressed by the sheer energy, co-ordination and passion in
every twirl, twist and embrace. One dancer in particular seemed to melt
backwards under a chair in the kind of move that would keep a chiropractor in
business for life. Sexy, funny and passionate, Midnight Tango’s a surprisingly accessible
dance show with more than enough going on to entertain even Strictly non
believers. Tan-go and see it...or, to put it another way, Cacace it if you can.
Midnight Tango is on at The New Alexandra Theatre until May 11th before tangoing off on tour across the UK. Dates here.
All photographs courtesy of Manuel Harlan.
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