Dance review: Dance ‘Til Dawn, Edinburgh

STRICTLY Come Dancing may have made stars of Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, but they’ve kept on shining all by themselves.

Dance 'Til Dawn. Picture: Contributed

Dance ‘Til Dawn

Edinburgh Playhouse

Star rating: * * * *

The duo’s last tour, Midnight Tango, proved to their legion of fans that they have a talent and vision which extends far beyond the BBC studio – and Dance ‘Til Dawn only compounds that fact.

Part musical, part dance show, this is two hours of pure entertainment but with real artistic integrity. Set in 1940s Hollywood, the deliberately flimsy plot is packed with clichéd characters we know and love, from the jaded private investigator to the blonde gangster’s moll – all wrapped up in a script dripping with genuine wit.

Simone and Cacace are, as always, a true joy to behold: lightning fast legs whipping round each other, passionate arms clinging on, and footwork that dazzles with its speed, grace and razor sharp precision.

But, as with Midnight Tango, the talented pair refuse to hog the limelight, leaving plenty of space for their 15 fellow cast members to share their respective skills, be that delivering perfectly timed comic lines, belting out a number or delivering slick dance moves to the live big band sound.

A hybrid such as this, mixing West End glamour with serious ballroom and Latin, could so easily end up serving neither – yet it works. Simone and Cacace’s passion and commitment to an artform they’ve spent years honing, and their desire to reach a broad audience, ensures Dance ‘Til Dawn gives us the best of both worlds.

Seen on 03.04.14
• Runs ends today