The vast expanse of the Eastbourne stage is filled with several packing cases as the elderly occupant of the house, and his son, appear to be preparing to move out but, before they go, the man takes one last look through the things in his attic and this sets off a chain of events that lead us, ultimately, to The Last Tango.
Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace were dance partners long before they became firm favourites on Strictly Come Dancing, in fact this marks their 20th, and final, year together. Like many of their TV colleagues they have taken to the road to entertain their many fans in person – the difference is that Vincent and Flavia do it with class.
This stunningly passionate and wonderfully intimate production is the perfect swansong for a couple who dance so well together that their faultless performance from start to finish is pretty much guaranteed. The live band, stunning costumes and live vocals from Matthew Gent, singing Great American Songbook favourites, all help to add to the atmosphere.
Teddy Kempner plays “Older Vincent” and it is he who opens the production by climbing into the attic only to find himself surrounded by the same clutter and mess that, for most of us, contains some of our most precious memories. His performance strays from comedy to tragedy but, throughout the show, he maintains that distant look of a man totally immersed in his past.
The ensemble cast are all tremendous dancers in their own right and are given many chances to shine. The speed and accuracy of their steps, together with their unbridled joy at being able to perform in such a good show, makes even the most complicated of Karen Bruce’s, brilliantly choreographed, routines look easy.
Playing out the lives of the couple who meet, fall in love, get married, have a family, get separated by war only to be reunited later, the two stars of the show give a perfect demonstration of their world championship winning dance moves, including the wonderfully intricate moves of the Argentine Tango – a speciality that gets rapturous applause.
The extremely moving ending to the show sees Vincent and Flavia dance The Last Tango and, as they do, the whole audience sits in stunned silence, realising that this may well be their last chance to witness such consumate perfection in dance.
***** Five Stars