Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance – Review – Bradford Live
By Christine Goode, June 2026
It is hard to believe that 30 years have passed since Michael Flatley took the world by storm with Lord of the Dance, one of the most successful dance productions ever staged. We had the special edition VHS at home and watched it repeatedly in the late 1990s, when my daughter was still very young. We were huge fans and completely in awe of Flatley’s footwork. So, I was delighted to hear that the 30th anniversary tour had come to Bradford Live this week. My guest – now my grown-up daughter – and I went to the show reminiscing about those days, including the time she tried to put the video in the machine and got her hand stuck in the player. Thankfully, she still has both hands ready for plenty of applause.
Flatley shot to stardom in 1994 after he was invited to help create an interval performance for the Eurovision Song Contest, appearing in the seven-minute spectacle titled Riverdance. The show was then turned into a full-length production. He then went on to create Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger. In 2016, due to injuries, he retired from performing, except for a one-off appearance during the 30th anniversary show in Dublin in March 2026, where the Lord of the Dance himself joined the company on stage for the finale before the first UK leg of the tour started here in Bradford.
The story of the show emerges from the dreams of the Little Spirit, played by Evia Hayter. A classic tale of good versus evil, it sees the Lord, played by Macaulay Selwood, representing all things good, fighting against the evil Dark Lord, played by Tom Doherty, and his army of Warlords.
“Imposing”
Some may find the story confusing or minimalistic. However, the passion of the dance, the music and the energy of the production are more than enough, and for me, the storyline brings everything together.
The dancers are excellent and in perfect time with each other. The girls perform beautiful, light, delicate jigs, and the boys are just incredible at the step dance and tap. Impressive speed, beats and high elevated kicks with heel clicks, along with amazing timing and syncopation, had this tap dance teacher grinning from ear to ear. I also loved the dance of Morrighan the Temptress, which combined traditional Celtic dance and music with a contemporary Middle Eastern feel.
The costumes are beautiful and have been updated for the anniversary tour. The Warlords have been made to look more imposing, with a tactical warrior style to them. There is a notable change in the girls’ costumes. While keeping the heavily embroidered Celtic patterns on lush velvet dresses, they suddenly switch to cropped tops and short, flirty skirts, as well as tight Lycra catsuits with lots of sequins and glitter. They are simply stunning.
“Gained pace”
The hairstyles of the female dancers have also changed, moving from uniform long, curly hair to more natural, long and flowing styles. This gives a more fluid appearance as the dancers spin around and look almost angelic, especially when wearing soft, lyrical dresses.
There were some technical issues tonight. The screen at the back went black a couple of times and, at the beginning of the show, there were a few audio problems, especially during the solo singer’s performance, along with a couple of minor costume blunders. However, the show really gained pace from the girls’ dance, ‘Breakout’, followed by the Warlords, which was performed without music and was breathtaking.
It was a hugely entertaining evening that brought back many happy memories of seeing the show for the first time. It certainly lives up to its subtitle, Lord of the Dance: 30 Years of Standing Ovations, and judging by the audience reaction, there were at least three standing ovations in the second half alone.
Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance is at Bradford Live until 14th June
Christine Goode founded her own dance school – The May School of Dance & Theatre Arts over three decades ago. Her dedication to teaching and love of dance, has created many successful artists in the industry, and she is delighted that many of her former students have now returned with their children, allowing them to also discover this beautiful art. She has choreographed, produced and directed shows over the last 36 years, and is devoted to all live theatre and music. Now in her third year of writing about her obsession with the arts, Christine loves to encourage everyone to see as much live theatre as possible.
maydanceschool.co.uk
