Last year, James from our Borders branch had the exciting opportunity to see Riverdance in Edinburgh with support from his support worker, Derek. Irish music means a lot to James. His favourite band is The Dubliners and he listens to Irish traditional music every night, playing along on his bodhrán, flute or guitar.

 Unfortunately, due to lockdown it had been almost two years since James was able to go out and see his favourite music being performed live. In 2020 he had booked a ticket for the Riverdance’s 25th anniversary show but it was postponed due to COVID.

James shared how it felt to see the show after a two year wait. “The show was cancelled in 2020 - so great to finally see it at last.”

James took the train to Edinburgh alongside support worker, Derek. They had a burger and chips at Waverley then walked on to the Playhouse Theatre. The Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre is the UK’s largest seated theatre so the atmosphere was incredible.

The show did not disappoint. There was a great range of music, from fast jigs to slow music on the pipes. The dancing was incredible, traditional Irish dancing was the focus but there were also dances with a Flamenco and Russian influence. Each dance told a story, from Irish mythology like the great hero Cú Chulainn to getting to the heart of Irish diaspora.

James said, “the show was very entertaining”. His favourite dance was ‘Reel Around the Sun’ which celebrated nature and he loved seeing his favourite instrument (the bodhrán) being played on stage.

He loves his Irish music and the show was an epic welcome return to live music for James after a year in lockdown.

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