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David Hellier

1:00pm - 3:00pm

Strictly Ballroom The Musical

The musical version of Baz Luhrmann's iconic movie Strictly Ballroom is at Milton Keynes Theatre this week on its first UK tour.

This version of the musical has been directed by Strictly judge Craig Revell Horwood who appears in voiceover form at the start of the show, and promises dazzling costumes and a backstage peek at the realities of ballroom dancing.

The starring role of Scott Hastings has been billed as Kevin Clifton, who won Strictly Come Dancing with his celebrity partner Stacey Dooley in 2018 before leaving the show, however audiences in MK this week were disappointed to find that he has been replaced by understudy Edwin Ray who delivers a competent performance in the lead role alongside Dancing on Ice finalist and Coronation Street star Faye Brooks as Fran who has joined the show in the last week but seems very comfortable in the role with a confident and polished performance.

The movie, Strictly Ballroom has been credited for spawning Strictly Come Dancin and tells the story of Scott Hastings, a talented, arrogant and rebellious young ballroom dancer whose radical dance moves see him fall out of favour with the Australian Federation and losing his dancing partner. He finds himself dancing with beginner dancer Fran who is trying to shake off the shackles of her strict Latin American family including Fran's Dad Rico (Jose Agudo) who steals the show with his spectacular Paso Doble at the end of the first Act.

The best songs from the movie soundtrack are performed in the musical with the hits Time After Time and Love Is In The Air included with lots of new numbers, and as you'd expect, the dance routines are challenging and the costumes spectacular.  There's also a very clever set with sections that slide in and out to create the different settings in the show.

By the end of the show, the audience had been won over by Edwin Ray as Scott and although he had big shoes to fill he gave a truly show-stopping performance.

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