Midnight Tango | Bord Gais Energy Theatre

Star Rating: 2/5

Dublin gets a hit of Strictly Come Dancing spice this week in the form of Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone in Midnight Tango, but unfortunately, your enjoyment of the show depends on your definition of what said spice is.

The plot, if you can call it that, is so clichéd and familiar it becomes tedious. Beautiful Sofia (Flavia) catches the eye of both noble Pablo (Vincent) and the sinister El Gato, and she is torn between the two (for some reason bizarre reason) and ends up with Pablo (obviously). Supporting comedy comes from the older owners of the bar the action is set in, and similarly, you know how their story is going to end the second they appear on stage.

Flavia and Vincent are the stars in this mostly wordless show and are without a doubt talented, displaying all the skill and vivaciousness that is seen on screen. However they only seem come to life when they are completely alone on stage, which doesn't happen until halfway through the second act. The other dancers are perfectly capable, but all equally interchangeable, adding no personality or depth to their characters, the only way to discern which is which is by their faces.

There's nothing new or fresh in the production in terms of staging and performance and nothing particularly exciting or spectacular happens until the show's final 20 minutes. When it does get going, the energy and style is superb, it's a bit of a joke that a show with an average ticket price of €35 waits until the final 20 minutes to do so.

Mostly Midnight Tango feels like a vehicle to keep Strictly dancers fit and working in their off season, and make a few quid out of their audience in the meantime. Speaking of, Strictly fans seemed to attend in their droves on the night in question and ate up every moment, giving most numbers rapturous applause and a standing ovation at the end.

Whether this is testament to the fact that Irish audiences will stand for anything, or that there is a something about the show that doesn't translate outside of their fanbase is unclear. But by the end of the show, you actually miss Brucey's cringe worthy puns and Bruno Tonioli's effusive dramatics. At least they would add some interest. Unfortunately, Strictly Come Dancing this is not.

Midnight Tango runs until Saturday June 9th in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Tickets from €20 available on ticketmaster.ie

REVIEW BY: David O'Shaughnessy

Story by EI Team | 09:00 | Wednesday 6th June 2012 | Theatre

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