A mesmerising evening of Nuevo Tango bringing Buenos Aires to London.
Tango is Argentina’s most popular dance, and it’s easy to see why. It’s passionate and intense, fiery yet elegant, explosive yet precise. In Tango After Dark, World Champion Germán Cornejo and his company bring the soul of Buenos Aires to life with the music of Astor Piazzolla, founder of Nuevo Tango. And for the most part, it’s electric.
They can definitely dance. It’s what you’d expect from one of the world’s best tango show choreographers, and the company live up to his standard. The ability of the cast is endlessly impressive and there is clearly a chemistry between them which helps elevate the work beyond its technical skill alone. I particularly enjoyed the number with the four men dancing together: something I wasn’t expecting to see in my assumptions about the form.
The musicians are world class. Led by Musical Director, Diego Ramos, they ooze talent and you can see their passion and heart for the genre moving through them as they play. They are impeccably tight, making the complex rhythms of the form look easy, and masterfully handle Piazzolla’s infusion of musical styles—tango, classical, jazz. The solo musical moments from Diego Ramos on piano and Benjamín Ciprían on guitar are virtuosic, and one of the highlights of the evening is watching Clemente Carrascal manage the intricacy of his bandoneon parts even with his sheet music scattered around him.
The show is set up as a series of vignettes, each self-contained scene flowing into the next, mostly dancing with some scenes dedicated to songs alone. It’s structured well, with Cornejo finding a helpful balance between explosive routines, powerful ballads and more expansive moments of intimacy and delicacy. Jesús Hidalgo and Antonela Cirillo are the show’s singers and are clearly talented with excellent voices, although their presenter-esque style borders on a smugness that I find insincere and uncomfortable, especially against the backdrop of the band’s humility.
For me, the main thing that the production lacks is a narrative through-line. While the dances and songs are impressive, there are times the mind wanders without an overarching story to tie the pieces together. I’m fully aware I am not an avid dancer and so am naturally less attuned to the language of the movement itself and its layered history. What this means is that, while I was able to feel constant appreciation, huge respect and occasional awe, only rarely was I truly moved.
That being said, I would wholeheartedly recommend this show. It’s a beautifully designed, wonderfully executed, importantly authentic production on the stunning Peacock Theatre stage. If you want an evening of passion and flair, don’t miss it.