Details

Formed in 2007, in memory of a dear friend, the dance troupe consists of eleven members from East London and the Essex area. Diversity are really one big family. They are made up of three sets of brothers: Ashley and Jordan Banjo, Ian, Jamie and Matthew McNaughton, Sam and Mitchell Craske. They are complemented by four of their best friends: Terry Smith, Ike Ezekwugo, Warren Russell and Perri Luc Kiely. This tour is set to be even bigger, and to take them into the new decade of Diversity, Ashley Banjo has created a new show, which centres around the world of social media, the internet, and the digital era we now live in, but more importantly how this connects us all.

Cast/Performers

Diversity

Creatives/Company

Choreographer: Ashley Banjo

Diversity - Connected

Diversity - Connected (Dance or ballet) production archive for QTIX code T161605157. Details of all Diversity - Connected archived productions can be found under the QTIX code: S1546776259

Archive Listings

18 Jun 22 to 19 Jun 22	Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea, Essex Performance Details => Venue archive
15 Jun 22	Stockton Globe Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland Performance Details => Venue archive
13 Jun 22 to 14 Jun 22	Alexandra Theatre Birmingham, West Midlands Performance Details => Venue archive
10 Jun 22	Ipswich Regent Ipswich, Suffolk Performance Details => Venue archive
7 Jun 22	Swansea Arena Swansea, Glamorgan Performance Details => Venue archive
5 Jun 22 to 6 Jun 22	Bristol Hippodrome Bristol, City of Bristol Performance Details => Venue archive
3 Jun 22	3Arena Dublin Performance Details => Venue archive
2 Jun 22	ICC Belfast Belfast Performance Details => Venue archive
30 May 22 to 31 May 22	New Theatre Oxford, Oxfordshire Performance Details => Venue archive
29 May 22	Brighton Centre Brighton, East Sussex Performance Details => Venue archive
28 May 22	Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) Bournemouth, Dorset Performance Details => Venue archive
24 May 22 to 26 May 22	Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Performance Details => Venue archive
19 May 22 to 21 May 22	King's Theatre Glasgow Performance Details => Venue archive
17 May 22 to 18 May 22	The Glasshouse International Centre for Music Gateshead, Tyne and Wear Performance Details => Venue archive
15 May 22	Pavilions Plymouth, Devon Performance Details => Venue archive
14 May 22	Utilita Arena Cardiff Cardiff, Glamorgan Performance Details => Venue archive
11 May 22 to 13 May 22	G-Live Guildford, Surrey Performance Details => Venue archive
8 May 22	Harrogate International Centre Harrogate, North Yorkshire Performance Details => Venue archive
5 May 22 to 7 May 22	Opera House Manchester, Greater Manchester Performance Details => Venue archive
2 May 22	Sands Centre Carlisle, Cumbria Performance Details => Venue archive
1 May 22	City Hall Sheffield, South Yorkshire Performance Details => Venue archive
29 Apr 22 to 30 Apr 22	Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, Merseyside Performance Details => Venue archive
24 Apr 22	Victoria Theatre Halifax, West Yorkshire Performance Details => Venue archive
23 Apr 22	Usher Hall Edinburgh Performance Details => Venue archive
22 Apr 22	Winter Gardens and Opera House Theatre Blackpool, Lancashire Performance Details => Venue archive
18 Apr 22 to 20 Apr 22	Royal & Derngate Northampton, Northamptonshire Performance Details => Venue archive
14 Apr 22 to 16 Apr 22	Alexandra Theatre Birmingham, West Midlands Performance Details => Venue archive
8 Apr 22 to 10 Apr 22	The London Palladium West End, Greater London Performance Details => Venue archive
4 Apr 22	York Barbican Centre York, North Yorkshire Performance Details => Venue archive
3 Apr 22	Hull Venue Hull, Humberside Performance Details => Venue archive
1 Apr 22 to 2 Apr 22	Theatre Royal Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Performance Details => Venue archive
28 Mar 22 to 29 Mar 22	Waterside Theatre Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Performance Details => Venue archive
24 Mar 22 to 26 Mar 22	Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea, Essex Performance Details => Venue archive
21 Mar 22 to 22 Mar 22	De Montfort Hall Leicester, Leicestershire Performance Details => Venue archive
18 Mar 22 to 19 Mar 22	The Hexagon Reading, Berkshire Performance Details => Venue archive
17 Mar 22	Venue Cymru (formerly - North Wales Theatre) Llandudno, Gwynedd Performance Details => Venue archive
23 Mar 21	Venue Cymru (formerly - North Wales Theatre) Llandudno, Gwynedd Performance Details => Venue archive

Reviews

Janet Holland: 13Jun22:
wonderful uplifting evening with great performances from brilliant dancers who have a much greater message than just being a dance troupe. Well done

Joyce Dixon : 21May22:
Sadly I agree with the above reviews. Since Diversity won BGT I have wanted to see them. I saw them at the Sage Gateshead and I was bitterly disappointed. We had fab seats however the lighting was so dim that you couldn't really see the dancing. Every now and again the lights would shine on them and I thought... Happy days... Here we go for it only to fall into darkened shadows again. However I had no problem seeing the huge neon boxes / massive screen. Music was bland and uninteresting. I waited all night for them to come on and do their famous robotic dance in their reflective suits but they didn't do it. Instead they wore street clothes throughout the show. I did not enjoy the political aspect of the show I didn't go there to be preached at. Don't mix politics with entertainment. I could not have been more disappointed, stick to what you do best. I will never go see them again. I was DEVASTATED!!

Sue: 14May22:
Have to agree with other reviews. Just seen the show at Cardiff Really disappointed in the amount of dancing through the whole show. Music unrecognisable and too loud. A lot of the audience were young children. They would not understand the theme of the show or the references to BLM etc. much to political. Please go back to what you are good at

Motherm: 09May22:
Saw diversity last night in Harrogate. Had no real expectations other than a couple hours of good dance and entertainment. First 15mins nearly left! Booming music, patronising teacher like presentation by Ashley Banjo to primary school children. Sadly the so called thread or message was so basic and simplistic it failed to make any " connection" to the dances routines which quickly became boring and monotonous in their repetitive moves. Mozart, Chaplin to out and out wet tshirts stripping and thrusting !! Total waste of money. We left at the end of first half!. Don't get me wrong their are some incredibly talented dancers but they need to acknowledge their limitations: no soap box, no preaching, no need for personal congratulation. Mix up the tempos, change the tone and different dance moves. Celebrate the strengths of the individual dancers. Would not repeat or recommend.

Stu : 11Apr22:
I agree with Tris above. Disappointed by the amount of dance held together with an over dependence on a bare threaded stroyline that massages egos. There was also one point when it felt a bit like Magic Mike at the end of the 1st act. I wouldn’t rush to watch the group again.

TRIS: 09Apr22:
A really frustrating and monotonous experience. Far too much time was spent by Ashley promoting and praising himself. At one point, both audience and cast were sat watching a video of Ashley receiving an award. The performances were sporadic. Whilst technically good, they didn’t hit their usual standards. The theme was an interesting one, but the messaging poor and the dances rarely related. Ironically, it all felt disconnected. To be honest, the second half of the show was unbelievably dull. Whilst I fully appreciate everything they have achieved, I have to say this is one to avoid. The reaction of others at the end was either frustration or boredom, although it was a small cross section of the 3/4 full theatre. Sadly, the very worst London show I have seen.

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CORONAVIRUS: All venues in the UK were shut down on March 16, 2020, and the restrictions were finally lifted on July 19, 2021. It is important to mention that the UK Theatre Web archive listings (iUKTDb) from March 2020 to July 2021 might not be accurate due to the lack of information regarding rescheduled and cancelled shows.