Dance review: Midnight Tango

UNLESS you're a true devotee, two hours of wall to wall tango can be a little tiresome. Happily, Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace – two of the most popular professionals to emerge from BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing – are well aware of this.

Consequently, Midnight Tango is not just an example of TV stars trading on their prime-time success, but a show in every sense of the word. Joined by eight fellow dancers, two actors and a fantastic six-piece band, the couple use a simple narrative to demonstrate the versatility of tango and considerable skill of the performers.

Set in a bustling Buenos Aires bar, the basic premise is well-worn – boy meets girl, boy loses girl to rival, boy fights rival, girl goes back to boy, everyone has a party. What's clever about Midnight Tango is how they use tango to evoke such a wide range of emotions, from sexual attraction to violent exchange, poignant sadness to deep love.

As expected, Vincent and Flavia are the stars of the show, and rightly so – they speak the language of tango as if it were their mother tongue. It's also clear, from the brief moments when they dance with other partners, that there's nothing quite like the chemistry created when they come together.

A large portion of the show's success resides elsewhere, however, in the witty and touching exchanges of the middle-aged bar owners. That Vincent and Flavia can share the spotlight to such an extent says as much about their talent and humility as the show does.