WITHIN SECONDS the hairs were standing up on the back of my neck, and barely a couple of minutes into this show I realised I had tears running down my face.
That sounds a bit odd when you think that this is a brand-new dance comedy, and believe me it is very funny.
It’s even stranger when you realise I’m a middle-aged Scotsman who, if it wasn’t one of the traditional Scottish dances taught by Mr McEwan during social dancing in PE, can’t dance to save his life.
OK, I was the paper’s Strictly correspondent for almost a decade (don’t start me on the interview with Craig Revell Horwood that was kaiboshed by the Beast From The East, I’ll well up again) but I’m still no dance afficionado and can’t tell my paso from a plié.
I looked those up.
So I can only put my unexpected lachrymosity down to the sheer emotional power of what was happening on stage.
Oh, I thought I knew all about flamenco. It’s just women in frills stamping, shouting and clicking castanets, yeah? No.
It’s only when it’s being performed live, right in front of you by absolute masters of their craft that you can fully appreciate the forceful genius of flamenco dancing and guitar playing.
Crikey, that last paragraph could get me into Pseud’s Corner.
But I don’t care. I loved this spectacular hour, and found myself dewy-eyed more than once during this unexpectedly moving show.
But it’s billed as a dance comedy, I hear you say, and you’re right, it’s bloody funny, too.
From the unexpected twist of the patriarch’s emotional awakening to the new guitar-slinger’s attempts to crowbar rock and roll into the strict traditions of flamenco, there are laughs aplenty and some superbly-done audience participation, too.
Oh, yes, you’ll be singing along a fair few times to the surprising musical mash-ups.
The show is described as respecting the traditions of flamenco while questioning its rigidity, and explores themes of generational clash, identity and artistic evolution (Pseud’s Corner is guaranteed now, I fear).
Now, all of that is undoubtedly true but all I can add is that I was utterly blown away by this. So much so that I’m taking the memsahib – who can’t believe I loved a danc show so much – to see it next week.
Flamenc Oh!!, 14:15, Assembly Rooms – Music Hall, August 6-30 (not 19)
