Strictly Come Dancing favourites Vincent and Flavia present a slick and stylish Last Tango.
While any dancing fan finds something to enjoy in every style of dance, and while the Charleston may have gained a reputation on Strictly for scoring the highest points from the judges, many of us couch-potato observers, who watch in wonder wishing only to be entertained, find it difficult to resist a dance that blends blindingly brilliant skill and precision with that frisson and thrill of sexual tension. This is why, for many of us, you just can’t beat a steamy Argentine Tango. And nobody can beat former World Champions Vincent and Flavia when it comes to performing one.
That said, it’s not all about the tango. This - their latest and apparently last - show takes in a whole variety of dance styles from Swing to Ballroom, from Rumba to Charleston, punctuated intermittently of course with different versions of the one everyone keeps on waiting for - the one that leaves you wanting more.
Hung around the storyline of an elderly man (played by Teddy Kempner) reminiscing on the significant moments of his life while browsing through the odds and sods up in his attic, Vincent is the man in younger days, Flavia his bride. This is a love story that takes in the pain of separation during the 2nd World War, but otherwise follows an apparently untroubled and perfectly predictable path – till death us do part. Sentimental and coy, it teeters at times on the brink but just manages not to slide into kitsch and cutesy. This is largely due to the quality of performance, choreography and visual design.
Costumes are by Strictly’s own Vicky Gill, a former dancer and dance teacher herself and no stranger to draping beautiful bodies in fabulous fabrics that enhance the dancers’ look and line. The set by Morgan Large, lit by James Whiteside, frames the performances with nostalgia and a twist of the contemporary. All songs – varied but fitting a certain time and place - are performed live by Matthew Gent, his soft croon and slick quiff lending the show a Rat Pack cool. The ensemble dancers, eminently competent and reliable, provide solid support – and a few much-needed opportunities for the two stars to take an occasional breather.
But it is all about these two, the shining figures that stand out against the big, blooming, buzzing background of everything else. They effortlessly move together as an inseparably-timed unit, anticipating each other’s every move, bringing to life the near-impossible dances they created with director and co-choreographer Karen Bruce. And the very last tango of this, The Last Tango? Well, let’s just say, seeing is believing…
7th – 9th April 2016