Peacock Theatre, London
November 9, 2024
Flawless are exactly that . Flawless! Outstanding in every respect, the guys who make-up the company have a tight, clean, precision to their dancing, which makes for incredible group sequences, where they are not even a beat out of time with each other. They really are an absolute joy to watch.
Founded twenty years ago by Marlon ‘Swoosh’ Wallen, Flawless jumped to fame when they appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009. The judges were stunned by their performance, and their skill and execution has only got better over the 15 years since. Unfortunately, there was no programme or leaflet information for Past, Present, Future, so it is not possible to give individual dancers a justly deserved name call.
Photo Fiona Whyte Photography
But, while Flawless company dancers were outstanding, the performance itself felt as if it lost its way. The recreated pieces from Flawless’ past and new pieces should have comprised the front and centre of the evening. Unfortunately, the second half turned into something less polished, presented as the company’s future. Young people of all ages were given a lot of stage time with the youngest performing as one might expect from small children. And while the older students looked promising, and potentially exciting, they were let down by choreography that seemed under-rehearsed.
Although the packed house of seemingly mainly parents and siblings appeared to enjoy him, I could also have done without the over-the-top presenter. Why he was needed beats me, except perhaps for gap-filling between set and costume changes. He seemed to think he was the show, repeating time after time the same repartee, and trying to get the audience to join in with pointless refrains and gestures.
The show closed with nearly a quarter of an hour of filmed tributes, all saying how wonderful Flawless are (true, but does it really need to be layered so thickly?) and sending love on the occasion of their twentieth anniversary.
Directed by Wallen, Past, Present, Future could have been, should have been very special. But it seemed he was unable to decide if he wanted an evening celebrating the Flawless company’s extraordinary talent and dancing prowess, a school performance to showcase up-coming students from the Flawless Dance Academy, or a tribute show. He went for all three, and finished up not really fully achieving any.