Strictly Ballroom – Leeds Grand Theatre

Book: Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce

Director: Craig Revel Horwood

Take a funny, crazy and heavily stylised film from the nineties about the Australian amateur dance scene directed by Baz Luhrmann, add in some even more incredible dance numbers and a barrel load of songs, and you get Strictly Ballroom the Musical. Few realise, however that the film itself was based on a stage play that Luhrmann and his friends set up in 1984, so it was already ripe for being turned into a musical before it became the iconic film.

The plot follows Scott Hastings, a creative young dancer who has trained since he was six years old in order to win the Pan Pacific Grand Prix Championships, something that his mother has dreamed of for him for his whole life. Trouble is, ballroom competitions come with a lot of rules, and specific ‘allowed’ steps and Hastings is not a rule follower. The two hour show charts the progress of Hastings and his unlikely partner Fran as they dance the steps they love, rather than the steps they think will win.

Almost every single member of this energetic and polished cast is a triple threat. They can dance, boy can they dance, but they can also all sing while in the throes of some very energetic choreography and act out of their skins to effectively portray the caricatures that are brought to life so vibrantly on the big screen.

Kevin Clifton is absolutely excellent. His dancing was always going to be top notch given that he is a professional dancer who has won International Open titles all over the world, but his voice was a really pleasant surprise, reminding me (in no bad way) of Chesney Hawkes with his strong voice and acting gusto. He was also very funny, adding more to the character of Hastings than the film provides.

Fran is played by Faye Brooks of Coronation Street fame, and is also strong in all three areas, making a perfect transition from clumsy, gawky absolute beginner to the confident and accomplished dancer who partners Hastings at the end. She is a delight to watch and works perfectly with Clifton in both dance ability and comic timing.

A stand-out moment of the show was the Paso Doble, led by Rico, Fran’s father (Jose Aguido). A stunning dance that includes almost the entire cast ended the first half and took the audiences’ breath away, leaving them whooping and whistling well into the interval.

While not hard-hitting in any way, this is a thoroughly fun and feel-good musical with plenty of energy and some great musical numbers. There are a couple of songs that fall flat, feeling forced into the show, such as those including character Barry Fife, who was played with an Australian accent that left a lot to be desired and who threw away so many lines it was difficult to tell what he was saying on occasion. These songs weren’t particularly enjoyable and added nothing to the show, though scrapping them would make the first half seem even longer against the second half, so it’s clear why they’ve been kept in.

This is a show that could be watched repeatedly, there is so much going on in, the choreography is incredibly slick and the costumes are fantastic. A great way to spend an evening, in the company of some very talented actors.

Runs until 8th July 2023.