Polish Dance Spectacular at The Lowry Review
Polish Dance Spectacular
The Lowry, Manchester
8 February 2015
Reviewed by Debbie Lowndes
My husband and I have never seen or experienced Polish folk dancing previously. Therefore when we spotted this show at we were a little intrigued and wanted to learn more. The performance was taking place at The Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays, Manchester. The location is just a two hour journey for ourselves (in Derbyshire). However, we felt this was worth it due to the show being something completely different to the normal shows we opt for.
The Lowry itself has ample parking within the outlet mall. Parking rates are very reasonable, however after 4pm on a Sunday it is free parking. So no charges applied for our visit. The Lowry appears to be accessible via public transport with many tram stops within a stone’s throw.
Due to the traffic encountered on our journey we arrived 10 minutes late for the performance. We picked our tickets up from the box office. Staff we really helpful and they were expecting us. We were rapidly handed our tickets and provided with directions to the correct theatre. The performance took place within the Lyric theatre. Upon our entrance into the theatre we were immediately greeted and politely directed to our seats. We appeared to have missed the first dance, we quickly got seated and started getting into the performance.
The theatre was buzzing and attendance was of a great standard with very few spare seats. We had good seats which were close to the stage. Having said that I think all of the seats in the theatre had good views. The theatre itself was very clean and tidy. The stage was well lit and sound levels were good and clear. The dancers wore very dazzling, vibrant and colourful folk style costumes. They were very authentic in design. Dancers/singers ranged in age from about 12 to 50-60. The dancers performed Polish Folk songs and dances with the accompaniment of a live Polish Folk orchestra. This orchestra was note prefect and of a high standard. During the performance there were a mixture of singing and dancing. The songs were sung in the Polish language, unfortunately, neither myself or husband know the polish language. This did not disappoint us as we could understand the meaning of the songs and the story line was evident from the dancer’s expressions, characters and props.
The stage was filled by a large number of dancer’s, it was believed to be in the region of 350 in total. The dancing was elegant, acrobatic, energetic and full of passion. This passion shone through throughout most of the performance. It was a true pleasure to be part of such a meaningful performance. I have to say my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this performance even though it was our first experience of such a performance. The performance demonstrated the beauty, fun and excitement of the world of Polish Folk law.
During the interval we went to find the toilets. These were clearly marked and very convenient to the Lyric theatre. They were spotless and cleaned to a very high standard. I could not believe that I did not have to queue for a cubicle as there were ample available. This can be a novel thing at many theatres, however, it was not a problem and The Lowry. This was good as it allowed us to make the most of the interval time. We also manage to squeeze a drink in during the interval as there was adequate staff manning the bar area. Once again we did not have to queue we were served immediately and the alcoholic drinks were very reasonably priced. The bar area had a wide range of seating from sofas to tables and chairs. It was pleasantly decorated and stylish. The view out of the windows was great, it overlooked the ship canal. Clear announcements were made to inform the interval was coming to an end.
We returned to watch the second half of the performance. Once again the second half included a range of Folk style dancing and singing. Many people within the audience were singing and clapping along. Audience participation was encouraged by the dancers and everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. I took a moment to scan the type of audience that the show had attracted. This was mixed and ranged from families with children to couples, female groups plus older people. The performance drew to an end and we left the theatre. Once again we used the toilet prior to our journey home, again neither of us encountered a wait to use toilet facilitates. I also spotted there was a cloak room close the theatre in case you want to pop your coat away during the performance.
I would never have thought of attending a performance of this nature. However, I have to say both my husband I and enjoyed the whole performance. It was of an excellent standard and we experienced a delightful quality evening.
Tickets were priced at £17.00 which I felt is good value for money for such a quality performance. I would not hesitate to visit The Lowry again, it is an excellent venue and I will definitely be recommending to my friends and family. Service levels experienced at the venue were of high quality and all staff encountered were polite, helpful and friendly.
Rating: 4/5
For other shows at The Lowry visit www.thelowry.com.
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 3AZ | 0843 208 6000
