House of Flamenka  ✩✩✩✩✩
Peacock Theatre

What is one of the greatest achievements a Spaniard can make? To surprise the putamadre. This putamadre was shaken up like a good cocktail and, along with the rest of the audience watching Arlene Phillips House of Flamenka, left with a smile of satisfaction.

House of Flamenka delivers everything you would hope from traditional flamenco. There is the visceral excitement of dancers flung like the capes of matadors. The passion of flame meeting candle. Thunderous heels beating hollow floors. The precision of castanets. And sweat flying from backs and brows. It’s the thumping heat of sex, barely constrained by the tightest of costumes. Yet wrapped in an inescapable etiquette.

Loosely set in the world of a goddess (Karen Ruimy), a heavenly queen has curated a horde of beautiful men who perform just for her in a secret playlist of her fantasies. But, in defiance of tradition, they constantly break the boundaries of flamenco. It’s here where the surprises begin. At first, it’s just a questioning hint, was that a few bars from a J.Lo song? Then it’s unmistakable, somehow Cardi B has done a full-scale stage invasion. And before that settles in the dancers’ arm movements have evolved into the powder puff rituals of vogueing and they are no longer doing matador realness in the bull ring but are legends doing dips to the ballroom floor. Or death drops as Drag Race devotees have decided to call them. It’s an ode to gay dance culture wrapped in a traditional art form without losing the unique energy of either. 

The staging smoothly shifts from an opulent boudoir that showcases how the dancers move together, to minimalist black that highlights individual artistry. The best moments are when the two are combined, with dancers moving in sinuous unison against sparkling austerity. Their highly tailored costumers are catwalk ready and often non binary but never non sexual. Overall, it’s a heady concoction of energy, attitude and talent. Each scene felt like the night’s favourite until the next one began. 

House of Flamenka is as elevated as a night at the ballet, as authentic as cocido Madrileno, and as sweatily rousing as a night in a club that has a queue round the block. The audience cheered and danced at the end. They should have started sooner.

29 September – 8 October https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/house-of-flamenka/

 

 

Review by ANDREW HEBDEN

Queerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day.