Co-Choreographers: Adam Garcia & Samantha Heather
Co-Directors: Adam Garcia, Samantha Heather & Tim Newman
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Busy & Energetic“
3.5 / 5
Fusing together traditional Irish dance, live music and tap – Emerald Storm is busy and packed with energy from the talented performers.
Compared to many dance shows, there isn’t much of a storyline woven into the routines, other than a brief aside about the cleaner – ‘Mop Boy’ (Matt Walker) discovering he has hidden talents that launch him straight into centre stage with the rest of them, which he performs with enjoyable skill. With no clear thread, the show is instead presented as a series of dance routines set to various pieces of music, from pop songs to sea shanties – it’s a busy combination that crams a lot into the 2 hour runtime, sometimes to it’s detriment.
In having so many routines being performed in quick succession, there isn’t a moment for some of the impressive skills to ruminate and fully land. Instead, the moment one routine finishes, another one begins, rapidly churning out one after another, which takes away some of the heart and soul that is usually present in large ensemble dance productions. If anything, it strangely feels quite corporate, the element of warmth and community lacking from the choreography – despite the immense talent and spirit from the wonderful performers. Additionally the song choices often feel very disconnected to the dances themselves. A touching ‘7 Years’ performance is accompanied by fast footwork and erratic high kicks, that don’t quite match the tempo of the song. This quickly transitions into ‘Kings & Queens’, a song with a completely different vibe, meaning the tone or energy is constantly catapulting around, rather than smoothly progressing and subtly shifting throughout the evening.
Curious directorial choices aside, the performers are absolutely wonderful, each of them upbeat, energetic and fantastically engaging. Olivia Graydon (Lead Irish) and Bayley Graham (Lead Tapper) as the main dancers are fabulous, both solo and in their ensemble performances. They are accompanied by the very talented additional Irish dancers (James Wakeling, Hayden Woodcock, Lizzie Pit, Olivia Leanne Grainge) and tap dancers (Brooklyn Barber, Florence Georgia, Sophie Parris) that inject energy and enthusiasm into each routine. Singer Tom Ball (The Boss) has a fantastic singing voice, and is vocally very impressive, particularly his interpretation of ‘Halo’ alongside the house band being an enjoyably different rendition.
After the two hour performance, there is also the opportunity for those eager for their moment on stage to take part in the ‘Tap Jam’. Its a fun, unexpected addition, and is a nice touch to welcome the audience to have a go themselves no matter how experienced (or not) you are.
Runs until 14th December 2025
RatedReviewed 
I thought this was going to be Irish-themed, but it wasn’t. There were a few classic Irish songs and a lot of Irish dancing, but also tap dancing. All the dancers were very talented. The male singer was extremely good! I enjoyed the Show, but it didn’t flow well. One dance, then another, sometimes accompanied with a song. But they didn’t connect. One major criticism I have with The Emerald Theatre, is the extortionate price of the drinks! How the Venue can justify charging customers so much is beyond me!!
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Yes! The drink prices were extortionate, the worst I’ve ever seen at a theatre/event venue! It cost £14 for two soft drinks, I dread to think what alcohol cost!
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