MICHAEL Flatley has said that he will be going out at the “top of the world” when he bids an emotional farewell to London’s West End next month as part of his final stage performances.
The 56-year-old dancer will take to the West End stage for 30 evening performances with the world premiere of his latest show, Lord of The Dance: Dangerous Games.
The show will feature former Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle with Flatley adding that it has “always been a dream of mine” to have the Derry singer involved in one of his projects.
Speaking to the media this morning at the London Palladium, which will kick off the show’s world tour, Flatley said the shows would help seal a lifelong dream of performing in the capital’s theatre heartland.
The former Riverdance star said: “When the lights go out I’m going to be right here in the moment. This is the top of the world for me, in the West End, it’s always been. Since I was a little boy I’ve read about the West End, I’ve always wanted to be here. I’ve had a place in London since 1996, and I’m just honoured to be here.”
In the 20 years that Flatley has been showcasing the Lord of the Dance worldwide he has had the privilege of performing in plenty of iconic venues.
He revealed that alongside reaching the pinnacle of dancing in the London Palladium, there are several other places that he feels honoured to have graced over his lengthy career on stage.
“It’s been 20 years, we’ve had a lot of great things happen, and we’ve been very very blessed,” he said.
“It used to be that my dream was to dance at Madison Square Garden in New York, do football stadiums, Wembley Arena, and I’m delighted we’ve managed to do most of them.”
The forthcoming shows will bring a new staging and arrangement to London audiences and will feature Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle, who will sing the title track Dangerous Games.
Coyle was also present at this morning’s event and praised Flatley, who choreographed and is directing the upcoming performances, for continually entertaining his fans.
“I’m delighted, I’ve been a fan of Michael and Lord of the Dance for the last 20 years,” she said
“It just gets better and bigger every time. I couldn’t believe it when we met and Michael asked me to be a part of the show in the London palladium.”
Following the West End run of shows over September 1 to October 25, Flatley and the cast will be embarking on a world tour over an 18 month period, kicking off at The SSE Arena in Wembley on October 30. They will travel to 15 countries, including: Belgium, Israel, Scandinavia, Dublin, Belfast and South Africa.
