Review: Kevin And Karen Dance, York Barbican June 20

KEVIN and Karen Clifton may no longer be a couple, but the strength of their affection and professional regard shone through throughout their highly entertaining and superbly performed show on Wednesday night.

Their generosity of spirit, unusual in a celebrity showbiz world full of towering egos, showed in their allowing the excellent orchestra, singers and supporting dancers generously allocated time, audience attention and applause.

The end of their relationship, described at one point as the “elephant in the room”, was cleverly referenced and actually became a major theme in the performance, with the exploration of their inspirations evolving into a dance-off, Karen evoking Gloria Estefan and Beyonce, the princess and queen of pop respectively, and Kevin bringing in Michael Jackson and Elvis to the stage: the kings of pop and rock'n'roll. Kevin does a great moonwalk, but the rap, probably intentionally, leaves a lot to be desired!

The music and performances free-wheeled effortlessly from Broadway to the West End, Hollywood and the floor of the disco; Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Fred Astaire et al all being cited as the heroes and heroines of their journey from their teenage bedrooms in Hull and Queens to the high profile they enjoy today as a result of their membership of the Strictly Come Dancing professional cast.

Because of that, the level of warmth and love that was extended to Kevin and Karen from the audience wasn’t surprising. Kevin also built on it effortlessly; he has a natural comedic talent that kept us all laughing and smiling and Karen delivered wry and sassy comebacks.

My own personal highlight of the evening was their beautifully choreographed and exquisitely performed dance to Come What May. The emotion was palpable and I’m sure I wasn’t the only member of the audience with tears rolling down their cheeks. The standing ovation was thoroughly deserved. Come what may, I hope they will continue to perform together

Alison Spaven