Toronto's new Celtic show, Brogue, comes to London

Header image for Interrobang article
Want to see some Celtic dancing at its finest? Now may be your chance. Brogue is about to jig its way into London's Aeolian Hall.

Creators Michael Farrell and Dan McDonald are no strangers to Maritime, Irish and Scottish culture. They have both been part of successful Celtic shows in Canada and internationally, touring across North America and Europe. Brogue features four dancers, including highland dancers, and three musicians. With this new show, there is something new for the seasoned professionals as the show's music director and co-producer McDonald explained, “We do combination numbers with the Irish music, or even Scottish music with Irish dance, it all blends together to make a kind of patchwork quilt of Celtic styles, and I think that's a very strong part of the show, and when it's being presented, it really feels good.”

McDonald was raised in a small town in Cape Breton, where he learned to play the fiddle from an early age and played in his family band. The band toured with other local families, and went to play across Europe in Ireland and Scotland. He later moved to Toronto as an adult, where his exposure to Celtic music broadened.

“What I found is that when I moved here and I started trying to find people to play music with, it was mostly the Irish community here in Toronto that I ended up playing a lot with and learning all this Irish music.”

Even if Celtic dancing may not be the most popular form of dance for London students — it's a lot different than what is seen on Richmond Row — these dancers really have some moves. The quick footwork takes years of training. McDonald explained that the dancers featured in Brogue have all competed at a world level, with 10 to 15 years of Celtic dance on their resumes.

When I ask how people unaccustomed to this Maritime and Irish culture react, McDonald responded enthusiastically. “Oh, they love it! They think it's great! You know a lot of people are familiar with river dance, and that's kind of what they think of when they think of a Celtic dance show ... our show combines the Irish and Canadian music, it's really quite effective for the audience here in Ontario,” he said.

McDonald is also very proud to present something uniquely Canadian. “The big thing that is important about the show is that it couldn't happen anywhere but Canada ... the blending of all these different styles of music and dance doesn't happen over in Scotland or Ireland,” he said.

Brogue will make its first London appearance at the Aeolian on November 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for a reduced price in advance at the Aeolian Halls box office, or regular price at the door. For more information on the show you can visit broguetheshow.com