Yllana
Flamenc Oh!!
direction David Ottone and Juan Ramos
artists David Bastidas, Raquel Ortega, Raúl Ortega, Anabel Moreno, Luis Gallo
choreography Carlos Chamorro • costumes Tatiana de Sarabia
set Carlos Brayda • lighting Juani González Vega
Peacock Theatre, London • 30.Sep-10.Oct.26 ★★★★
Those gifted, cheeky artists at Yllana (see also
The Opera Locos) bring their lively and hugely entertaining homage to flamenco to London, fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe. Of course, these performers are experts at the craft, dazzling the audience with their wonderful sense of rhythm and movement. But they are also having a lot of fun telling a silly story that has some serious kicks as it explores personal identity, family connections and legacy.
A voiceover paints a portrait of a flamenco family, with the imperious patriarch (David Bastidas) deploying his soaring voice while tapping the cane that symbolises his authority. His wife (Raquel Ortega) is a feisty dancer who rules the roost, while their son (Raúl Ortega) and daughter (Anabel Moreno) demonstrate seriously fancy footwork and armography. Both siblings hope to inherit the cane, and Dad needs to make a decision. He is clearly disappointed with his son, but his daughter is throwing herself at the steaming hot guitarist (Luis Gallo) who just strutted into their lives with his luscious locks of hair and shockingly modern musical sensibilities.
Within this soap opera, each character is a hilarious bundle of attitudes and personality quirks, adding amusing touches to even their most impressive displays of flamenco prowess. These are top-notch performers who continually wow us with their talents, even if the show is designed for entertainment rather than audacity. Ortega and Moreno get a chance to deliver stunning riffs of taconeo as the brother and sister battle for their parents' approval. And Gallo's astonishing guitar work is augmented by his character's riotously preening physicality.
There are also deeper themes that have something more profound to say about Spanish culture, such as how the father longs to explore his feminine side, but feels trapped in his machismo. Finally he takes the plunge and tries on a ruffly red gown, surprised that his wife embraces this. Watching them throw their trains around is thrilling, leaving us wanting much more of this. There's also a nice edge to the way the son seeks approval from his father, while the daughter refuses to settle for anything but the top spot.
Through all of this, modern music continually creeps in, with lovely riffs from standards like
Summertime, Moon River and
Beautiful, plus exhilarating renditions of
Maniac and
Purple Rain. Cultural touches include some romance, mysticism and even a bit of magical realism. There are also of course snapping castanets, swirling capes and a full-on boxing ring dance off for the cane. Characters continually flirt with the audience, which is frequently coaxed into clapping to the beat or shouting
¡Olé! And even if it's perhaps a little too crowd-pleasing, the barnstorming curtain call sends us out with a smile.
photos by Pablo Lorente • 30.Sep.26
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