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The Last Tango
Belgrade Theatre
***** STARS of
Strictly Come Dancing and
world Argentine Tango champions, Vincent
Simone and Flavia Cacace’s final live show in the UK,
The Last Tango
was a joy and a thrill. I hope it’s fair to say it was also surprising.
But frankly, I would happily pay £25 to watch them dance the Argentine
Tango just once and, by gum, we had so much more! Building on previous
shows Midnight Tango
and Dance ’Til Dawn, The Last Tango
was an emotional trip down memory lane by Vincent as an older man,
sorting through forgotten mementoes in his loft. The glorious highlights of his life; meeting Flavia when she dropped her gloves, getting engaged in a smart Italian restaurant, getting married, honeymooning on a cruise ship, the arrival of four children and her death are created as memories by an incredibly accomplished set of dancers and musicians on stage and in the pit.
I don’t think I’ve ever
come across an accordion player in a pit before! And that is on top of
Vincent and Flavia, dancing in a range of styles to which we have become
familiar through Strictly.
Apart from the Argentine Tango, I loved the Flamenco set in the most
stunning red dress. But, if I had to choose, it was the dance to a most
beautiful rendition of At Last
that stole the show for me – well until the final – the last – Argentine
Tango – to Autumn Leaves
that was so beautiful it made me cry. If all that sounds unnecessarily morbid, it was
played with elegance and humour, so much obvious enjoyment and
exuberance from the cast that it made for a truly enjoyable evening. As there was no
programme, I’m not sure who was singing or playing but there were no
winners – it was all first class – but particularly noticed the Viola
player tackling elegantly and expertly the theme tune from
Schindler’s List
– it was a real tearjerker. The cast included Teddy Kempner as the older
Vincent in the loft, Matthew Gent, Callum Clack, Diana Girbau, Rebecca
Herszenhorn, Aaron James, Rebecca Lisewski, Jemima Loddy, Ian Oswald and
Grant Thresh. Directed by Karen Bruce, this was a show I was
really looking forward to, and it didn’t disappoint in any way. There
was so much more than I expected and I enjoyed it immensely – as did a
packed Belgrade baying for more at the end. Jane Howard 28-05-16 The Last Tango returns to the Midlands at the Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent on 5 and 6 July before ending the tour with the very last tango in Southampton 12-16 July http://www.thelasttangotour.co.uk
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