Strictly Ballroom was reviewed at Milton Keynes Theatre (playing until 8 April 2023). The tours continues until 15 July 2023.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
The cast of Strictly Ballroom saunters onto the stage at Milton Keynes Theatre, with a star-studded cast, including Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing) as Scott Hastings, Faye Brookes (Coronation Street) as Fran, directed by Craig Revel Horwood and and co-choreographed by Horwood and Jason Gilkison. Based on Baz Luhrmann’s film (1992) of the same name, expect outrageous characters, flamboyant outfits and a weird but wonderful storyline.
If you’re after a light-hearted night at the theatre, then this is the show for you. Strictly Ballroom is set in the world of Australian ballroom and follows our protagonist, Scott, as he competes to fulfil his mother, Shirley’s (Nikki Belsher) dream of becoming a ballroom champion. However, Scott causes an uproar when he goes against the strict rules by adding his own moves to the regimented dance routines. With a desire to break the mould, Scott finds a fellow rule-breaker in novice dancer, Fran, as the pair step up their game in preparation for the much anticipated Grand Prix Dancing Championship.
This quirky comedy has plenty of wacky characters that brighten up the stage and cause the crowd to laugh, but at times the slightly flimsy plot loses its pace, with some scenes dragging. This is not the fault of the cast members, who perform to a high standard and make their best attempt to keep the energy flowing on stage. Clifton’s understudy for the night, Edwin Ray, didn’t disappoint, likewise his leading lady Brookes as Fran. While there are a few unnecessary scenes, one that stands out and makes the show is the visit back to Fran’s home, where comedy is pushed aside for a moment and the audience gets to experience an awe-inspiring Paso Doble routine. This scene makes you realise the true dance potential of the cast, which is at times lost among the slapstick.
It’s always great to watch a musical with a live band, which makes all the difference to this show that has a track list of popular songs, like Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’ and Johannes Vandenberg’s ‘Love is in the Air’. It isn’t a total medley of well-known tunes though, with a few original songs thrown into the mix. As you’d expect from any show with ‘ballroom’ in its name, the costumes and set, both designed by Mark Walters are full of feathers, sequins and brash colours, which adds to the comedy value.
A spattering of swear words might not make this appropriate for a very young audience, but otherwise it’s a show that would appeal to families – at times it feels like being at a panto. The performances make this show enjoyable. An overall great night out, it’s just the plot that loses the show its five-star potential.
Hannah Grimmette
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