Review: Torvill and Dean deliver spellbinding Our Last Dance show at OVO Arena Wembley
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean took the audience on a two-and-a-half hour journey of their 50-year career with 'Our Last Dance'.
Captivating. Magical. Emotional.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean sent chills down the spines of thousands of people who were left in awe - and a little bit teary - in OVO Arena Wembley as they took the final opportunity to see the golden couple as they donned their skates and whizzed around the ice one last time as they brought the curtain down on their professional time in London on April 13.
The pair, now in their 60s, and several of the world's best skaters – including stars of ITV1's recently axed Sunday night reality show 'Dancing on Ice', including Mark Hanretty, Sylvain Longchambon and Alexandra Schauman – bursted onto the showfloor with a routine inspired by the hit 2017 family musical flick, 'The Greatest Showman'.
It perfectly set the tone for the production, which squeezed five-decades-worth of Torvill and Dean's career highlights into the two-and-a-half hour spectacle.
The world's most famous dancing duo beamed with happiness as the vast crowd caused the 12,500-seater venue to shake as a wave of cheers crashed into the arena. Probably feeling saddened after saying "this is our final tour", Torvill quickly stressed that "it's not going to be a sad occasion", but rather, as Dean put it, "a celebration" of their 50-year career – from the point they first met on the rink at Nottingham's Ice Stadium in 1975, to their last hurrah in 2025.
Stood in front of a huge LED screen that projected a black and white snapshot of the Nottingham Ice Stadium – now known as the National Ice Centre – where their story began, the 66-year-old skating star asked his partner what she thought of him when they first saw each other. She called him a golden prince, while the 67-year-old was named the "queen bee of the ice" by her longtime pal.
OVO Arena Wembley turned into a time machine, and like Marty McFly and Doctor Emmett Brown did in the 'Back to the Future' trilogy, the audience travelled back in time to key periods in the ice royalty's life. From the Groovy 70s when a young Torvill and Dean learnt the ropes with their first coach, to the rad 80s where they dominated UK, European and world ice skating competitions with their routines to the likes of 'Mack and Mabel', 'Summertime' and 'Let's Face the Music' – all of which still packed a punch and pure precision, which is testament to their talents.
After the duo finished their performances, they dashed backstage for a costume change – but there was not a bizarre, fluorescent green outfit in sight for Torvill – and to prepare for their next routines that left the spectators in amazement. Whilst this was happening, the next generation of the world's best skaters took to the ice and delivered edge-of-your-seat acts.
Suddenly, the audience was in 1984 – Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'Relax' topped the UK Singles Chart, and people were wearing bright, bold and daring outfits. The North West London venue busted out dance moves as Sylvain, Alexandra, Vanessa Bauer and Eric Radford put on an energetic display of skating goodness to Wham's hit track 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go'.
Elsewhere, some of the hunky and beauty bombshell pros sent pulses racing and even caused some to flutter their eyelashes as they turned into sexy cowboys and cowgirls in a cheeky routine choreographed by Dean.
But a highlight came when the audience was invited to the circus for a performance, which was full of slapstick humour, audience interaction and jaw-dropping stunts – with the most amount of cheers going to American and French figure skating medalist Philip Warren as he launched into fast and furious acrobatic backflips. However, a magical moment came in this act when three-time 'Dancing on Ice' champion, as well as the show's former creative director and choreographer, Dan Whiston swirled high into the air to Send in the Clowns.
As the show started to wind down, Torvill and Dean wanted to reassure the audience that the future of Great British ice skating was in good hands by inviting British champions James Hernandez and Phebe Bekker to perform an explosive James Bond routine.
Afterwards, the lights in the arena turned black. Suddenly, purple light filled the venue. It was Valentine's Day 1984. The audience felt like they attended the ice skating final at the Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympic Games and were about to see Torvill and Dean put the experience they accumulated since 1975 into the one moment to win Olympic Gold.
The time had come. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is 'Boléro'," said Dean.
The snare drum started its constant eight-beat rhythmic pattern, and then the melody – powered by a range of instruments, including the flute, clarinet, bassoon, oboe d'amore and saxophone – kicked in as archive footage of Torvill and Dean beginning the routine on their knees is shown on the LED screen.
Despite some having wondered why they did not do this legendary moment in front of the crowd, the two doors built into the LED screen opened up and the pair skated out in their iconic purple-coloured outfits – which had been redesigned, with Torvill's sleeveless dress being light purple at the top and became a darker shade of the colour as it got to the bottom, while Dean donned a purple shirt and dark purple trousers.
The routine to Maurice Ravel's 1928 masterpiece was as dramatic and powerful as ever, which earned them a resounding standing ovation after they recreated the unusual way of ending the perfect score routine – by sliding on their side on the ice.
After they took a bow for a good few minutes, the lights went out, and they skated backstage. A few moments later, the arena turned into a party as a disco ball lowered from the ceiling whilst it spun, and all the pros came out in gold and white outfits to Donna Summer's 'Let's Dance' – to which the crowd clapped to its beat.
Torvill and Dean's name was announced as the professional skaters split into two groups and formed two lines for the pair to skate through. As they hurried out, they danced around the rink one last time before they glided to the middle of the ice hand-in-hand, forged the closed ballroom position, locked eyes, and then smiled down towards the opposite side of the venue with a golden smile.
After they gave a lap of honour, the cast of 'Our Last Dance' lined up in front of the LED screen before Dean gave his closing remarks.
As he tried to talk over almighty cheers, he said: "We so much enjoyed performing for you today and with responses like that, it just makes us so enthusiastic and loving the performances as we're skating them, so thank you."
And while Dean held back tears, he said before he and Torvill took one last bow: "Normally at this point, I say, we'll see you again ... but this is our last dance.
“So, we'll see you another time.
"Bye-bye."
