Thousands of people packed the RDS Arena for last night's performance of Lord of the Dance, and the vast majority of them stayed to the end, despite repeated showers which only those in the covered Anglesea Stand could ignore.
A covered stage had been erected on the south side of the arena, with four large screens without which, if truth be told, little of the action could be seen. These had the usual disadvantage of selecting shots which might not be those you would have chosen.
For this reason, although Michael Flatley and his splendid company gave it all they've got - and they've got a great deal - I truly feel you would get a better impression of the show from the video.
But of course live entertainment is about atmosphere and by 10 o'clock, when it had grown dark enough for Patrick Woodroffe's lights show and the special effects and fireworks to be seen, there was indeed atmosphere, the lit stage and the thunderous heel tapping, to Ronan Hardiman's fine score, having almost the feel of some primitive ritual.
Yet one of the things which made me prefer Lord of the Dance to Riverdance when I first saw it two years ago in the Point (the other being the choreographic improvement resulting from the whole company using their arms as well as Flatley), was its theatricality. It is essentially a drama, despite its somewhat corny plot, rather than a variety show, despite the songs and instrumental spots in both halves.
In the vast open-air arena, however, the drama (especially the menace of Daire Nolan's Dark Lord) failed to come across, the most successful items being the music spots. And the six moveable arches, which were saved by lighting in the Point, looked unbelievably tatty in cruel daylight, even though the opening was postponed to 8.30 p.m.
Nevertheless, the usual enthusiasm produced the usual encores at the end and, indeed, Flatley and all the cast deserved it.
Michael Flatley: encores were well deserved