Direct from sun-drenched Spain, the powerful rhythm and fast feet of Flamenco are taken to the next level in this brand-new production by Yllana.
Join a family of flamenco artists on tour as the younger generation begins to challenge the old rules with unexpected musical mashups, map cap moments and surprising role reversals. Bursting with passion, humour and dazzling dance, this is a playful and irreverent tribute to classic flamenco, while honoring this iconic art form.
Review by Richard Lambert.
Flamenc-Oh!! is a very entertaining production, packed with great ideas and plenty of laughs. It is very funny and provides a genuinely enjoyable evening.
The cast are excellent, with all five performers creating strong and distinctive characterisations. The main story is relatively thin, but it works perfectly well as a vehicle for the comedy, music and dancing. I particularly loved the transformation into Flashdance, which was one of the show’s highlights.
The lighting worked well overall. It was colourful when needed and generally matched the mood of the action. However, I didn’t like the lighting battens positioned over the audience. They repeatedly came on and off without always appearing to be properly cued, and the choice of colours was sometimes rather strange, particularly as they faded in and out.
The set was effective and served its purpose well. The backcloth and side flats provided entrances and successfully established the setting of a Spanish villa courtyard without becoming unnecessarily elaborate.
One weakness was the use of backing tracks for some of the flamenco tapping. This rather detracted from the impact of the dancing, as the live sound of the performers’ footwork is such an important part of the excitement and spectacle of flamenco. There was also an unfortunate lack of subtlety around the match: the two canes were clearly visible for some time before the official result, which rather gave away what was going to happen.
I think the production is missing a trick by not being more clearly marketed as family entertainment. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and much of its humour is deliberately broad and accessible. The humour is often very basic, but it is also very funny. There were very few children in the audience when I saw it, but those who were there appeared to have a fantastic time.
Overall, Flamenc-Oh!! delivers a lot of laughs and is a really fun evening. It combines strong performances, colourful staging, flamenco and broad comedy into an entertaining production that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Cast
David Bastidas — singer / patriarch
Raquel Ortega — matriarch / female dancer
Raúl Ortega — son / male dancer
Anabel Moreno — daughter / female dancer
Luis Gallo — guitarist
Creatives
David Ottone and Juan Ramos — Artistic Direction
Mark Ottone — Executive Director
Carlos Chamorro — Choreography
Tatiana de Sarabia — Costume Design
Juan Cañas, Daniel Rovalher and Miguel Magdalena — Musical Direction
Carlos Brayda — Set Design
Sixto Valdés Scull — Makeup Design
Juani González Vega — Lighting Design
Luis López Segovia — Sound Design
José Luis Taberna — Stage Tech / Backstage
Willy Monroe — Magic Advisor
Mabel Caínzos — Executive Producer
Daniela Scarabino — Senior Producer
Fran Álvarez and Jara Ramos — Assistant Producers
Erika Carballedo — Touring
Rosa Arroyo — Head of Media and Communication
María Crespo — Marketing
Julia Ottone — Social Media
Daniel Vilaplana — Graphic Design
Javier Naval — Photography
Production company: Yllana
London venue: Peacock Theatre
