We have seen countless productions over the years and we are always looking for something new and different to see. When the opportunity arose to see Diversity on stage for the first time, we couldn’t say no. We have been fans of their work since their win of the third series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 but have never seen them live, until now.

Since their Britain’s Got Talent win, they have so far sold out nine UK and Irish tours, sold over 600,000 tickets, with countless television and live performances. They are a crowd favourite with fans across Britain and the rest of the world, creating jaw dropping routines to showcase their incredible talent and inspiring the next generation of dancers. Alongside their live shows, they have also immersed themselves into the world of TV and Radio. Ashley Banjo has been a judge on Dancing On Ice and a guest judge on Britain’s Got Talent, Jordan Banjo hosted two series of BBC 1s The Greatest Dancer and also presents Kiss Breakfast every weekday with fellow Diversity fan favourite Perri Kiely.

Their new live show, Diversity – Connected is a journey through technology and connection, exploring the human, creative and scientific perspective. The tour production is enhanced by key elements that help to make this show an experience for the audience such as the Lighting Design by Peter Barnes, Screens Visuals Content & Design by Clive Silver for CS Media Ltd and Sound by Steve Levitt for Audiotech. The creative genius behind the show is Ashley Banjo, Creator, Director and Choreographer, who has delivered a show that is engaging and relevant.

The audience are guided through the world of the internet as Diversity delve into the use of social media, YouTube and Virtual Reality with dynamic choreography and a perfect soundtrack. Their use of props and effects such as the rain effect created memorable moments for the audience. Diversity know how to connect with their audiences, creating the perfect balance of crowd interaction alongside the messages of their production. The choreography and themes within this show encourages the audience to reflect on how we connect with each other, highlighting how the pandemic has impacted on our social interactions. The production is packed full of wow moments, for me, the Black Lives Matter piece that was performed at the 2020 Britain’s Got Talent first Semi-Final was one of those moments. The piece caused controversy when performed in 2020 and received complaints by members of the public to Ofcom for reasons such as the piece was unsuitable for a family audience, it was too critical of the police and so on. Diversity use their platform and the power of dance to discuss important topics that need to be discussed. To see this powerful piece of work in person was a moment I won’t forget. However people feel about the piece, Diversity are encouraging people to have conversations about important topics and I praise them for doing so.

This production was entertaining, powerful, energetic, creative and smart and most of all, alot of fun. I feel like we have been missing out on their live shows for far too many years (we won’t be missing out again). From connectivity to climate change, Diversity are using their platform to engage with audiences young and old to create conversations and promote change by audiences coming together. Catch this show on their tour and if you missed out this time in Brum, catch them again when they return to The Alexandra in Birmingham on the 13th and 14th of June 2022. You won’t regret it.

DT

Theatretastic 5/5:

We say: “Entertaining, powerful, energetic, creative and smart. This production is packed full of wow moments!”