XS – THE 2025 HOT ICE SHOW, BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
‘ A unique piece of Must See entertainment that lifts the spirits and thrills the senses…’
XS by name, excess by nature, this year’s ice extravaganza at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach is an awe-inspiring spectacle that keeps the leaps, beats, jumps and spins coming in a dazzling two hour display that takes the breath away.
A soundtrack of rattling chains and rumbling thunder rolls through the ice arena as the audience arrive for the opening night of this year’s Hot Ice Show, a Blackpool tradition with its origins way back in 1936, but it’s two flames, streaking across the the ice to meet in the middle of the rink that truly heralds the start of the Pleasure Beach’s 2025 spectacular – aptly named XS, as this year’s production has everything you could want.
From the off, XS is a glittering mix of dance, theatre, athleticism and world class skating. Swooping, gliding and pirouetting across the ice, the 30-strong cast, including Olympic medal winners and world champions, imbue the country’s only purpose built ice theatre with energy, colour and skill. A spectacle of rhinestones and feathers, the opening number is a well-drilled taster of what’s to come. Back flips, triple spins, salchows, axel loops, flips, sit and combination spins are the order of the night, all delivered in a series of scintillating solos, explosive ensemble numbers and daring duets.
From a Parisian bookshop to the ancient sands of Egypt and a spiral galaxy high in the night sky high above a sleeping city, the digital scenery, lush costumes, dynamic lighting and, at times hypnotic, soundtrack from The Notable Stranger and Craig Hemmings, conjure up sultry, fantasy worlds of the past, present and future. The result is a wholly immersive experience with skaters not confined to the rink but frequently to be found moving among the audience in the 1,528 capacity venue.
Those skaters include a quartet of homegrown Blackpool talents; Nadia Craggs, Francesca Guerin, James Horrocks and Stuart Widdall, whose credits include ITV’s Dancing On Ice. Other eye-catching turns come from former Russian champion Anna Kublivoka, Chinese Olympian Xiaoyu Yu, Russian Junior Champion Anastasia Kolomiets, three-time Austrian national champion Stina Martini, and the impossibly flexible Canadian Olympian Shawn Sawyer.
Add to that mix Ukrainian national champion Anastasiia Dubyk, Russian Master of Sport in Figure Skating Pavel Shvetsov, former Canadian junior champion, Matthew Markell, Japanese junior national champion Reo Ishizuka, and former Junior Grand Prix Gold Medal winner Ekaterina Borisova and the quality of this cast is plain to see. However, while each brings their individual style, character and personality to the show, the strength of this production lies in its varied ensemble routines and set pieces.
As the soundtrack, sometimes romantic, occasionally hypnotic and often strident, drives the momentum of the evening, so the giant digital backdrop compliments the action on the ice. With influences ranging from James Bond, or is it Tales of The Unexpected, to a trip through a snowy forest, which finds the cast matching the running wolves on the screen with high speed, high risk manoeuvres.
But for all the thrills and risks, the rhinestone-studded body-stockings and hand-picked ostrich and pheasant feathers are never far away, and they return as the cast deliver, We Mesmerise, just one of a number of insanely catchy Hot Ice Show anthems. ‘Let us perform for you…. this is all we want to be,’ they sing. It’s a joyous, uplifting number with infectious energy.
Not that all the set pieces have lyrics, instrumental numbers allow the skating to do the talking, director Amanda Thompson and choreographer Oula Jaaskelainen having an innate understanding of that golden rule, ‘show don’t tell’, allowing the skaters to bring the stories to life through their movement alone and it clear they relish the opportunity to do so.
XS is a breath-taking showcase of the skill and expertise of 30 athletes passionate about their discipline. Spell-binding, it’s a unique piece of Must See entertainment that lifts the spirits and thrills the senses – it’s also Blackpool’s Hot Ticket this summer, so do let this incredible company whisk you into their magical world for a couple of hours.
XS runs from 10 July to 13 September, Matinee performances, 2.30pm (50 minutes), Evening performances, 7pm (2 hours including interval). No Sunday shows. Tickets here. Anyone visiting Pleasure Beach can see the matinee performance for free.
