Nikita Kuzmin: Midnight Dancer ★★★★★

Some solo shows by the Strictly Come Dancing professionals can be a little bit ‘does what it says on the tin’. They tap into the huge popularity of the BBC’s telly juggernaut and deliver some nicely-put-together routines, while trading on their TV personas. At their worst, not mentioning any names, they can be a bit lazy and predictable. At their best, dancers such as Oti Mabuse and Johannes Radebe have delivered impressive production values in their solo shows. The best until Midnight Dancer came along…

With Nikita Kuzmin’s first headline show, he has raised the bar for Strictly solo shows with a piece of theatre that is filled with drama, passion, humour and daring. Four years in the making this work is so meticulously put together, taking Kuzmin’s artistic vision of a solo show with the creative direction of Tom Jackson Greaves and making something that is a cohesive whole rather than merely the sum of its parts.

Midnight Dancer is a modern reimagining of the Cinderella fairytale through the filter of a story in a romantic movie. The narrative, without giving too much away, centres around a triangle: the glamorous film star (Andreea Toma), her exploitative and cruel agent (an impressive Seamus McIntosh) and the hero (yes, Nikita obviously). The course of true love never runs smoothly and the blossoming romance must face hurdles, especially when the would-be lovers are torn apart! The show works this familiar trope into something fresh and unpredictable, keeping audiences glued to where the story is heading. Between scenes, a projected digital clock keeps the narrative momentum going and adds a sense of jeopardy as the show hurtles towards a fateful midnight!

Midnight Dancer is infused with the magic of the movies whether by the neon cinema marquee that looms over the set, or film-related songs interwoven into the show’s irresistible soundtrack, or even incorporating immediately-recognisable motion picture moments. Titanic, Barbie and Dirty Dancing are hilariously pastiched, Footloose fuels a horny hoedown interlude but it is Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet that infuses the masked ball scene with romance but also impending threat.

The storytelling of Midnight Dancer owes more to musical theatre than a traditional dance show but that in no way is to suggest that the dancing is neglected. Far from it. The choreography is thrilling, switching effortlessly between styles. One moment a crowd-pleasing jive; the next a quickstep or some samba rolls; giving way to Argentine tango ganchos. Kuzmin has surrounded himself with a noticeably young troupe of dancers – but the energy and commitment they give throughout the show’s two-hour-plus running time is impressive. Filled with character and expressiveness, every single one of the dance cast deserves the highest praise.

Of course, one of the thrills of seeing the Strictly professionals on their own tours is to be able to savour their skills at close quarters. It’s clear from watching Strictly that Nikita is a gifted dancer but in the intimacy of a theatre setting you can really appreciate what a powerhouse of a performer he is, and also how sensitive and nuanced his technique is. It’s easy to find yourself mesmerised by his exquisite handshaping, for example. He has a showman’s knack of genuinely communicating every emotion to the whole audience without resorting to gurning or overegging it.

Whilst Nikita invests the show with charisma, flair and fun (pronounced ‘foon’ by the newly-Northernised leading man), the outstanding and most moving section comes after midnight, when the hero’s world is broken. The colour and glitz is reduced to monochrome, evocatively reflected in Andrew Exeter‘s stunning lighting design. With Nikita dressed in a simple white T-shirt and light sweat pants, these wee, small hours lean towards a more balletic dream state where the yearning for his lost love is conveyed with heartfelt vulnerability. Nikita’s performance to Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River fuses commercial dance with some old school Gene Kelly aesthetics to pack a hefty emotional punch.

Credit must also go to the show’s live vocalist / guardian angel, the stunning Rebecca Lisewski. A formidable stage presence is matched by her soaring vocals. Rather than have the singer as the interruption in the show as happens too often in these production, Lisewski’s sometimes mysterious, sometimes playful contributions are woven into the fabric of the show.

The artistic power and creative boldness of Nikita Kuzmin’s Midnight Dancer will thrill and delight his Strictly fans and wider audiences seeking an entertainment masterclass. Prepared to break the norms of these shows and to offer both light and shade, joy and pain, intensity and goofiness, Kuzmin has set a new benchmark for Strictly professionals’ shows. And given that this is the 27-year-old’s first headline show, The Recs cannot wait to see what Nikita Kuzmin does next!