The ‘Benidorm Palace’ is the largest and most well attended performance venue in Benidorm. The concept is that for €29 a head you can come and enjoy a show or for an extra €30 you can do the same but with a three course meal during. My family and I decided to attend quite last minute so opted for the no meal option. As ‘Nostalgia’ is the only cabaret entertainment I saw advertised that cost money I had high expectations for the standard of performance and presumed it would knock the socks off of all the other shows I have seen in Benidorm.
‘Nostalgia’ is a show based on variety that aims to amalgamate a number of different performance styles and genres from different performance styles and genres from different cultures. The aesthetics of the venues give an evening there a feeling of faux Titanicesque grandness merged with the tacky glamour one would attribute to a Las Vegas show hall before the performance has even started.
The main body of the show consisted of dance numbers in many different styles including Spanish, Flamenco, Burlesque, Irish, Oriental and Commercial. For the most part the dancing was to a very high standard, especially the solo moments by the featured female dancers in the different sections and styles. There were a few moments in the group routines however where I noticed certain members of the ensemble lacked sharpness and percision of timing. I also noticed a dancer trip and fall over her long skirt at one point before recovering and bouncing up and back into the routine. I put this down to ‘Nostalgia’ being a relatively new show and the dancers still getting to grips fully with the choreography. As a director of drama I firmly understand and believe that even at a professional standard shows continue to improve and develop after opening night and during this time it is essential for performers to fall flat on their faces (figuratively or literally in this case) as it is a learning curve and will help them to better their performance. To this end I was extremely impressed by the dance numbers generally although I felt they dominated the performance a bit too much and at times felt slightly monotonous. ‘Nostalgia’ totaled at three hours which I found too long and I feel one of the parts where cuts could be most naturally and effectively made are within the group dance numbers.
‘Nostalgia’ showcased a number of different random amusements as well as the high octane dance numbers. The audience were dazzled by a dramatic and intricate lazer show and astounded by a very enthusiastic lady who in between very rapidly playing the xylophone blindfolded managed , at least, fifteen slick and mind boggling costume changes without leaving the stage.
The most impressive of these random acts in my opinion however was a balancing act during which three men expertly used their own and each others weight to create unbelievable shapes with their bodies. The three men were extremely precise and appeared calm, collected and strong through out the performance. This was a nice change of pace for an otherwise very forward flying and fast show and also added a sense of tension because of the amazing balances these talented men were slowly building up to and achieving every time.
‘Nostalgia’ was interspersed with pieces of physical comedy performed by a male ‘comedian’. I am going to speak briefly about this as for me it literally ruined the show. His first skit was highly interactive with three members of the audiences whom he was pretending to direct from behind a large, prop, vintage video camera. This was (very mildly amusing but I felt that it went on too long and that as the audience had paid good money to see this performance they should be watching the trained performers as opposed to random people. Later in the show when this ‘comedian’ teamed up with another cast member, this time attempting spoken and physical comedy, it was the lowest, flattest point in the evening for me. I simply didn’t understand how what they were saying was meant to be even vaguely funny ( I assume any comic value was lost in a Spanish to English translation) and when it came to their physical exertions the pair appeared completely inept of any comic timing. For lack of a better word- the comedy was rubbish and seriously hindered my overall enjoyment of ‘Nostalgia’.
My overall opinion of ‘Nostalgia’ is that it has many great points and is for the majority of the show professionally executed with enthusiasm, however the aforementioned negative points cause slumps that the show struggles to recover from fully. Basically when this show is good its very good, when it is bad its awful! My biggest issue with ‘Nostalgia’ was its length. I am twenty years old and a lover of live performance and I found my attention weaning at points so I hate to imagine how a child would feel sitting through this. An easy solution to this is to shorten some of the dance routines and either get rid of the comedy act or hire a comedian whose material is more concise, and actually funny, so it doesn’t feel like its dragging.
This show is best for families with older children or adult parties. While you may not get a chance to see ‘Nostalgia’ as shows at the ‘Benidorm Palace’ change quite regularly it is a lovely, luxurious venue with a reasonably priced bar and an efficient, if slightly robotic team of staff.
Liam Page- Theatre Blog 