Peacock Theatre – until 28th October 2023
Reviewed by Fiona Leyman
3***
After an overwhelming success in 2022, the Queen of Dance, both on stage and screen, Dame Arlene Phillips (Grease, Starlight Express, The Wizard of Oz, Strictly Come Dancing) returns to the Peacock Theatre for a limited run of the House of Flamenka. Staring Flamenco Dancer supreme, Karen Ruimy (When Jazz Meets Flamenco), together with Contemporary and world-renowned Flamenco Dancers. Promising to be back “Bigger, Bolder, with More Sass, More Sex, More Style than ever”, mixing Flamenco and Contemporary Dance in a “High Drama” show. The story revolves around the owner and Goddess of the House of Flamenka, played by Karen Ruimy. Her lavish lifestyle conceals a hidden debt to the Gods and a need for redemption, through dance and passion amongst her 20 men strong collective.
The Peacock Theatre goes black and the bass kicks in, resonating through your body, your chair, the walls and floor around you. Large picture frames and draped curtains surround the stage in a simple, yet effective arrangement, that give each dancer their own moment in the spotlight. You can fully immerse yourself in the show’s look and feel, thanks to the loud, deep bass and daring blend of modern pop and Latin music with traditional flamenco music.
Award-winning Set & Costume Designer Jasmine Swann created the extravagant, sensual and eye-catching costumes. Contemporary Dancers wear nothing but simple, minimalist costumes, leaving nothing to the imagination. More traditional, yet glamorous attire is worn by the Flamenco Dancers. When Karen Ruimy wears the traditional flamenco dress, she radiates pure elegance. Ruimy has more than 10 costume changes, and each one was equally stunning as the last. The straightforward use of feather boas, fans and hats as accessories all aid in capturing the passion in their dance.
The world-famous Flamenco Dancers were without a doubt the stars of the show. Their presence demands the attention of the audience, leaving those watching in wonder and amazement. Spanish-born Carlos Quintana, commands the stage and displays no signs of fatigue, unlike some of the other performers. Their intense dancing demonstrates their passion, flair, impeccable rhythm and timing. Even though incredibly skilled, the Contemporary Dancers by themselves were unimpressive and underwhelming. This was however remedied in the second act, with the combined fusion of contemporary and flamenco choreography.
Regretfully, Ruimy’s stage presence lacked the same intensity and flair of those around her, despite the fact she was meant to be the centre of attention. Although Ruimy was clearly a talented singer and dancer in her younger years, her brief time on stage meant that she was outperformed when she did make an appearance. Ruimy would have commanded the stage in her prime, but I think her abilities would be more suited to mould and shape the dancers of the future, as demonstrated by Dame Arlene Phillips.
By the time the show ended, I was left feeling perplexed and unaware of the plot as this was not made evident on stage. My 3*’s are solely in honour of the astounding flamenco dancers, who throughout the entire performance, oozed respect and passion for dance through their eyes and feet. They performed flawlessly and Flamenco, Francisco Hidalgo’s, choreography deserves the highest praise.