Telegraph & Argus, Bradford
by Emma Clayton
There's something very un-nerving about hearing the blades of skaters' boots grind across a frozen stage just feet from where you're sitting. And when the skaters are on stilts it adds a whole new dimension to the excitement.
But we were in safe hands with the Imperial Ice Stars, a 25-strong troupe of world-class skaters blending Olympic-level skill with spectacular theatrics and special effects. The show raced along, with quick set changes transforming a Royal palace into a frozen lake in seconds, and the skaters whizzed by at speeds of up to 40mph - leaping backflipping and throwing each other around along the way.
Any show with the words "on ice" after their title is in danger of being ramp and tacky, but this production had the class, skill and grace of a ballet. The classic love story, set to Tchaikovsky's rousing score, was reworked in hi-tech glory: with failing snow, a ring of fire, acrobatics, aerial gymnastics, even a sword fight.
The swans literally took off, flying above the stage, and there was something incredibly graceful about them gliding on Ice. This show had romance, elegance, adventure, sorrow and a dramatic twist. And it was fun, particularly the Riverdance-style homage to international dances. The complicated dance steps to Irish, Russian and Spanish dancing can't be easy in Ice skates.
Olga Sharutenko was a delightful Odette, at one stage swapping her skates for ballet shoes to move across the Ice on points, and Vadim Yarkov was superb as Prince Siegfried, strutting around the stage with strength and grace. At one time he carried not two but three female skaters as he raced by. Anton Klykov was a thrilling Rothbart, ripping around the ice like a black-winged monster. And Olena Pyatash was a fabulously fiery Odile.
A hugely entertaining show that will take your breath away.