Review: Night of the Guitar at the Flamenco Festival London 2026 – an intoxicating watch
Matthew Paluch sees Night of the Guitar at the Flamenco Festival London 2026 – artists at the top of their game, yet it feels intimate and improvisational.
| Title | Night of the Guitar |
| Company | Flamenco Festival London 2026 |
| Venue | Sadler’s Wells, London |
| Date | 25 June 2026 |
| Reviewer | Matthew Paluch |
The Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Wells looks at the art form as a whole, so last night’s ‘Night of the Guitar’ was very much a concert with (some) dance as opposed to the other way around.
The performance took inspiration from two greats: guitarist Agustín Castellón Campos and dancer Carmen Amaya. The two were key collaborators, so the connection absolutely makes sense, and present-day flamenco royalty brought the evening very much to life – Gerardo Núñez, Antonio Rey and Álvaro Martinete on guitar, with the dancer Olga Pericet.
As usual, the standard of work can’t be questioned. All involved are at the absolute top of their game, and yet they make the evening feel intimate and improvisational. No mean feat.
All three guitarists are experts… but if I was forced to pick out individual traits I’d proffer: Núñez brings tradition and atmosphere, Rey the drama, and Martinete next-generation skills. Whether playing solos, duos or a trio, the music always feels of the moment. No scores are on stage, just a chair and guitar, and the player channels what came before, and how those melodies and emotions manifest and release through them. Nothing feels staged or over-rehearsed, and although we’re in Sadler’s Wells, we could equally be in a relatively quiet Plaza in the south of Spain. Cielo!
Pericet is a very welcome arrival some 45 minutes in, and she offers three solos interspersed with more music. The first is a castanet solo in a red dress that arrives with a bang. Pericet is an ideal performer as she offers a spectrum of styles ranging from internal dialogue to eccentric showwoman. Her castanet playing is as clear as it could be, and she immediately defines the palpable relationship with the musicians and music.
Her second solo is performed in trousers, and the vibe is very much that of a Matador. She whips and turns around the space, exuding confidence and the aforementioned inner dialogue of dance, and the three guitarists watch her with unquestionable focus, allowing her movement to inspire them and vice versa.
She returns for her final solo in a white Bata de Cola full of performative eccentricity. The choreography initially focuses on port de bras (arm movements) that feel molten and inquisitive, but as the music propels, the dress train is kicked around like a weapon, and speed-of-light footwork fills the theatre. I’m so intrigued to learn how Pericet drew inspiration from Carmen Amaya. Are we seeing Pericet’s take on her as a form of impersonation, or as an embodiment of what Amaya meant for flamenco and continues to be? Regardless, it’s an intoxicating watch, and I look forward to Pericet and all Flamenco Festival participants returning again ASAP!
Matthew Paluch was awarded a place at The Royal Ballet School in 1990 where he graduated in 1997. His first four years as a professional dancer were spent working with London City Ballet, Scottish Ballet, K-Ballet and English National Ballet, becoming a full-time member of ENB until leaving in 2006.
Matthew graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance, Professional Dancers’ Teaching Diploma in 2007, and was formerly on faculty at The Royal Ballet School. He completed his Masters in Ballet Studies at Roehampton University in 2011, has been a freelance writer since 2010 and currently works in the Law Sector.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
