In this surprisingly seasonal heatwave we are currently enjoying, what better time for a visit from Spanish dance troupe Los Vivancos to the London Coliseum, complete with Sangria Happy Hour? Unsure what to expect from “extreme flamenco fusion”, I certainly didn’t expect subtlety. Rest assured — I did not receive any.
The seven brothers hold nothing back: on entering the auditorium, the audience is warned about strobe lighting and pyrotechnics. Little did I know how necessary that warning was. The lighting is almost overwhelming as its constantly shifting colours and arrangements merge with the energetic dancers. There are times when the lighting complements the action effectively, if a little heavy-handedly. For example, striking lighting changes are used to accompany dramatic points in the story, and seven spotlights are used — one for each of the seven brothers. For the most part however, the lighting is exaggerated, frantic and exhausting, most notably the flood lighting thrown at the audience every five or ten minutes, to indicate that applause is expected, accompanied by a flourish from the dancer reminiscent of a goal celebration.
The most effective moments are when the audience is afforded a break from the relentless sensory onslaught. After such a frenzied level of action, lighting and sound, the quieter and simpler moments stand out a mile. There is a wonderful moment at which the only lighting is portable stage lights, held by menacing hooded figures. The effectiveness of this design perfectly illustrates the old adage that less is more.
The talented brothers clearly exert themselves on-stage, performing with passion and energy. Many of them also play an instrument, which is not easy to combine with such physical activity, but the music is mostly peremptory and out of context: more about showing off the speed at which they can play The Flight of the Bumblebee on various instruments. There is, however, the fantastically surreal moment of watching one of the brothers play a mournful tune whilst suspended in mid-air between two metal structures — and doing the splits. Music is sometimes provided live on-stage by an all-female Maszka band from Budapest. Again, they are talented and enjoyable, but not really thought through; when on the stage they spend most of their time standing forlornly in the shadows, perhaps for fear of injury.
The promised ‘good-versus-evil’ story consists of several perfunctory appearances from the brothers in various ridiculous demon or vampire costumes, with some admittedly vivid fight scenes. At this point the narrative is either abandoned or abstracted to obscurity. Towards the end of the show, the brothers abandon their elaborate costumes and perform topless, which solicited a solitary cheer from the audience. It was certainly a welcome change.
Los Vivancos is clearly a show which packs a punch: it is fun, entertaining and stimulating, and the performers are clearly talented and dedicated. Unfortunately it is also garish, unsophisticated and monotonous. Perhaps I didn’t quite enter into the spirit of the thing, but believe me I tried. The show could do with a little more moderation and direction, and a lot less production.
Los Vivancos played at the London Coliseum on 9 July only. For more information about the company, see the Los Vivancos website.