Review: Strictly Ballroom The Musical at The Lowry Theatre

Cast of Strictly Ballroom The Musical

[Ad-gifted] I can’t tell you how excited I was to hear that Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical was coming to The Lowry Theatre in Salford, Manchester.

Growing up this was one of my favourite films. Set in 1990s Australia, it was everything I loved about cinema then. The gritty drama that Baz Luhrmann portrayed alongside such visual beauty, was originally a short stage play in the 80’s and then was re-created into a film. So being able to see it transformed into a comedy-musical and experience it up close is something I didn’t want to miss.

The Lyric Theatre at The Lowry is a large stage with seating right up to the rafters. The layout of this theatre lends itself well to a dance performance. So if you want to know what we thought of this epic story from the screen to the stage then keep reading our latest theatre review here at Yeah Lifestyle.

Cast of Strictly Ballroom The Musical

What we thought of Strictly Ballroom

Firstly I wanted to make a point that this show has come from one notable director to another, a name you will certainly recognise in the dancing realm of Craig Revel Horwood. I am sure from this you already know that we might say, the dancing on set was outstanding! Well, it really was – but the person that seemed to have drawn in the crowds last night was the much-awaited appearance of Kevin Clifton.

What may come as a surprise to the mega fans that might just be reading this, is that although one of my favourite films is Strictly Ballroom I haven’t watched any of the Strictly Come Dancing TV series! So Kevin Clifton wasn’t a person I was familiar with, unlike Asha (who runs Yeah Lifestyle) who came with me last night and is a Strictly Super Fan!

The show was a compact version of the film narrative and the focus was on the tongue-in-cheek aspect that comes from the screen version combined with the film style that was about during the 90s Australia. So, it won’t come as a shock that the costumes were flamboyant and there were plenty of blonde wigs adorning the heads of the dancers/actors on stage.

The musical was filled with great dancing numbers and beautiful singing performances by Fran (played by Brookes) and Scott (played by Clifton), you won’t be disappointed at the content of this show. We had a fabulously entertaining time and enjoyed every minute. What’s more, they had great chemistry on stage and the romantic segments were a well thought mix of drama and comedy. Another funny character that always had me smiling was the show host – his sense of comic timing was brilliant.

One thing to note was the technical hitch at the start of the show – we’re not sure what it was, but the cast seamlessly left the stage after their intro performance and the crew equally seamlessly resolved the issue and it was back on track within 10 minutes – so if this ever happens to you (it was a first for us and we have seen a lot of shows) don’t worry as it showed from last night – everyone was well equipped to deal with the issue.

Cast of Strictly Ballroom The Musical

Cast

There were a few changes to the cast last night and they were absolutely brilliant – and turned out to be some of the stand-out actors on the night! Including Barry Fife played by Kieran Cooper who was sensational – and the role of Abuela played by Michelle Buckley – and not forgetting the funny and awkward character of Scott’s dad Doug played by Benjamin Harrold.

We also enjoyed the voice of Fran played by Fay Brookes and the dancing skills of Fran’s dad Ricco played by Jose Agudo whose Latino skills had the audience in awe!

Kevin Clifton – Scott Hastings
Faye Brookes – Fran
Nikki Belsher – Shirley Hastings
*Benjamin Harrold – Doug Hastings
*Kieran Cooper – Barry Fife
Quinn Patrick – Les Kendall
Oliver Brooks – JJ Silvers
Jose Agudo – Rico
*Michelle Buckley – Abuela
Karen Mann – Abuela
Maddy Ambus – Vanessa
*Edwin Ray – Ken
Jessica Vaux – Charm
Danielle Cato – Tina Sparkle
*Stylianos Thomadakis – Wayne
Agnes Pure – Liz
Adam Davidson – Nathan
Poppy Blackledge – Pam
Liv Alexander, Edwin Ray, Stuart Rouse, Hollie Jane Stephens – Ensemble
Michelle Buckley – On Stage Swing
Stylianos Thomadakis – On Stage Swing
Jasmine Joy – Swing
James McHugh – Off Stage Swing

*Cast change for the night

Creative Team

Craig Revel Horwood – Director/Co-Choreographer
Jason Gilkison – Co-Choreographer
Mark Walters – Set & Costume Designer
Stuart Morley – Musical Supervisor & Arranger
Richard G Jones – Lighting Designer
Rory Madden – Sound Designer
David Hulston – Associate Director
Lydia Hardiman – Costume Supervisor
Anne Vosser – Casting Director

Cast of Strictly Ballroom The Musical

How much are the tickets?

Tickets are priced from £15 to £51.

How do I book tickets to watch Strictly Ballroom The Musical?

To book tickets please call The Lowry at 08432086000 or via their website here.

How long is the show for and what are the timings?

The show will be running until Sat, 1 July 2023 with performances at 7.30pm while the matinee will be at 2pm on Wed, 28 Jun and on Sat, 1 July .

Audio Described and BSL Interpreted Shows will be performed on Thu, 29 June 2023 while Captioned performance will be on Fri, 30 June 2023.

Where will the performance be held?

The Lowry
The Lyric Theatre
Pier 8
The Quays
Salford
M50 3AZ
Manchester
Tel: 0843208 6000

Notes:

The Lowry welcomes all visitors regardless of their disability and strives to meet all individuals needs where possible.
They welcome assistance dogs.
The Lowry website is fully accessible and features BrowseAloud. Browsealoud adds speech, reading and translation support, facilitating access and participation for those people who need support reading print, dyslexia, low literacy, mild visual impairments and those with English as a second language. To use this feature, simply click on the grey ear logo located in the footer.
If you are driving to the show, we would recommend for you to park at The Lowry Outlet which is opposite the theatre, but be aware as there is lack of signage from the car park area to the theatre, so best to ask someone or use google maps to find your way.

Pre paid car parking tickets can be purchased up to 24 hours prior to your performance. Please note they are unable to sell pre paid tickets on your performance date, and you will need to pay at the ticket machines in the car park. The tickets can be booked at the same time as your seats via their website, or over the phone on freephone 0343 208 6000. The cost is £6.50. This allows you to park for the day.

About The Lowry Theatre

The Lowry is a registered charity committed to using visual and performing arts to enrich people’s lives. They present audiences with a diverse programme of theatre, opera, musicals, dance, music, comedy and visual art as well as events and activities to expand the horizons of audiences and artists alike. At the heart of their work is a commitment to the local communities and young people. Tapping into the work on their ur stages and in their galleries, they offer thousands of free creative participation opportunities each year. They are passionate about nurturing talent, developing creative professionals of the future and raising aspirations.

Cast of Strictly Ballroom The Musical