Southern Daily Echo, Southampton
ENTERTAINMENTS EDITOR LORELEI REDDIN is truly blown away
I HAD the most unexpected treat this week.
I'm not really a fan of the ballet and have never fallen in love with any of the ice shows that were particularly popular 15 or so years ago when I was a kiddy wink. Somehow they weren't quite what the stage was meant for. But never one to turn down a free trip to a show, particularly one which handily would be very useful to see for work, I jumped on a plane to Manchester. There at the fantastic Lowry in Salford was the UK premiere of Swan Lake on Ice.
Now drop all your preconceptions as this show is something else. It is the most classy spectacle you can imagine. I simply cannot speak highly enough of it. It's daring, innovative and imaginative, ice skating's answer to the Cirque du Soleil.
The cast of a couple dozen of Russia's top figure skaters twirl, twist, leap and even fly at times. There's rings of fire on ice and athletic chaps carrying three ballerinas gracefully around the stage at top speed. Oohs and aahs were constantly emanating from the crowd who saw a majestic display of world-class ice skating.
There are many amazing things about Swan Lake on Ice - but for me one of the most surprising is that no one's ever done it before. The Imperial Ice Stars bring the show to The Mayflower over the February half-term.
It's honestly better than the Olympics! Do not miss it.