Michael Flatley ‘full of joy’ as Dublin Lord Of The Dance show to go ahead

By Claudia Savage, Press Association

Riverdance star Michael Flatley has said he is “full of joy” that the Lord Of The Dance show in Dublin this week is able to go ahead.

The show, scheduled to take place in the 3 Arena on Thursday, was put in jeopardy when management company Switzer Consulting Ltd released a statement claiming it had been called off with “immediate effect”.

Switzer had previously been granted a temporary injunction against the choreographer and dancer for alleged breach of contract, relating to an agreement the firm says was reached to allow it to run the shows for the Lord Of The Dance 30th anniversary tour.

Last week, Flatley won the legal bid to have that injunction overturned, with the judge in the case, Mr Justice Simpson, saying the Riverdance star could suffer irreparable damage as the owner of the intellectual property of Lord Of The Dance.

On Tuesday in the statement released on behalf of Switzer cancelling the upcoming performance, the company was described as the “owner of the show and the intellectual property rights”.

Later that day, Flatley was granted a temporary injunction against Switzer which will prevent them from obstructing him “making use of the intellectual property” and “running/operating the Lord Of The Dance show in Dublin on Thursday 5 February”.

In the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast on Wednesday, the parties reached an agreement allowing the shows to go ahead.

In a statement, Flatley said: “As I said last week, we are just so full of joy that the show is going ahead as planned and that is our complete focus now – it will make our 30th anniversary show in Dublin all the more special – we cannot wait.”

On Tuesday, Flatley said Switzer issued the cancellation notice “in spite” to “try and further disrupt matters”.

He said: “Our relationship has been validly ended and 500,000 euros has been lodged in a solicitor’s account pending the hearing in two months’ time.

“It is unacceptable that Switzer would then issue a statement and I was left no choice but to injunct them from any such further interventions to ensure my shows go ahead from this Thursday.

“The show must go on and it will go on.”