Reviews

Strictly Come Dancing – Live (Tour – Newcastle)

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8 February 2012

Lifted directly from our TV screens, this live show, directed by judge Craig Revel Horwood (who also helmed the recent, brilliant tour of Chess), is pure theatre with a star cast to boot.

Anita Dobson, Jason Donovan, Harry Judd and Chelsee Healey, lead the celebrity dancers, all paired with a professional from the TV version. Split in to two acts the familiar judges (Craig, Bruno and Len) preside over the proceedings, with the audience being able to take part by text voting.

Each performance provides a winner, with Harry and Aliona way ahead of the only other winners so far, Chelsee and Pasha. Last night they were the final couples again with Harry lifting the glitterball.

This show is glamour all the way and the only real difference from its small screen version incarnation is the lack of our own Brucie, who is replaced by Kate Thornton. The patter flows quite freely, some appearing to be genuinely funny off the cuff, ad-lib comments interspersed with the rehearsed dialogue. Thornton brings the whole thing together nicely, as her warm personality allows her to interacted easily with the judges, dancers and audience alike.

The show is so well staged that the audiences get behind each of the dancers and ensure the atmosphere is electric. A terrific theatrical performance, if you like the TV version you will love this live tour.