Flawless: Chase the Dream

The auditorium is buzzing as the lights dim on the UK tour of Flawless: Chase the Dream. All at once, hundreds of kids with multicoloured flashing gloves and teenagers in ultra flat, oversized baseball caps begin screaming and whooping as their idols appear on stage. The gig kicks off with an extended version of the dance which shot Flawless to fame on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 – the same year that saw dance group Diversity pip Susan Boyle to the post to become series champions.

Remarkably for an act that neither won nor were runners up, Flawless seem to be going from strength to strength. Almost immediately we are given an introduction to each of the dancers, with a voice-over of their mantra as they strike a pose. It’s cheesy but a great marketing tool; if there’s any kids out there who didn’t yet have a favourite, they sure will now.

No doubt stemming from a feeling that theatre must always equal narrative, the first half is mostly made up of a thuggish story involving a homeless man being chased for a mysterious bag. It’s a disappointing start, and feels as if Flawless don’t have the confidence to rely purely on what they’re good at – dancing. The second half is a huge improvement, which has the audience following a dance routine with their hands and screaming which prop the next dancer should choose at the top of their lungs. The energy is electric, and as hundreds of screaming girls shout 'off off off' at the first sign that one of the dancers might just take his top off, it quickly becomes obvious that you’re never too young to appreciate a ripped torso.

Each prop introduces a new scenario, from The Mask to The Matrix and, without the pressure of following a weak plot, this is where the troupe really come into their own. There’s rather a lot of Michael Jackson in this production which is unsurprising given his legendary status and iconic dance moves. The only danger is that it begins to feel more like a tribute act, instead of a confident forging of ‘the one and only Flawless’. But as children bust some cool hip-hop moves to their encouraging parents in the foyer at the end, it would appear that Flawless have the potential to be as inspiring to these kids as Jackson was to them.