Hot Ice show XS at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Hot Ice returns to Blackpool Pleasure Beach for its 88th year. If you haven’t seen the show before it’s one show worth putting on your “bucket list” to catch. This year two Olympians join the cast, Shawn Sawyer and Xiaoyo Yu. Producer and director Amanda Thompson CBE once again excels at bringing another world-class production onto the Ice in Blackpool.

Japanese figure skater Reo Ishizuka stood out throughout the performance and is an exceptionally talented skater, each time he was on the ice my eyes were drawn to him.

The cast includes five “home-grown” Skaters from Blackpool that regularly perform here Nadia Craggs, Emma Shepherd, Francesca Guerin, James Horrocks and Stuart Widdall.

I lost count of the costume changes that take place throughout the performance. Each one brings another touch of class to this beautiful Ice Skating show. I can only begin to imagine all the work that is taking place behind the scenes to keep the show flowing in an effortless style to the audience. Each costume was designed and made by Stageworks Worldwide Productions.

I particularly liked the feather headdresses that are worn by the female skaters are spectacular and keep their balance precisely leaving me in awe of their talent, balance and skill. The photograph below captures the size and beauty of some of these.

Former Finland Olympic athlete Oula Jaaskeelainen has done an incredible job as the show’s choreographer this year. He looked on from the auditorium during the press night with a look of pride.

Watching an incredibly strong and talented cast of Ice Skaters make the immense skill set they have worked hard to achieve look easy as they glide, perform double axels, flying camel spins and biellmann throughout the performance. Everyone on the Ice and behind the scenes deserves to be proud of this year’s production Hot Ice XS.