Mom’s the word… It’s Strictly Confidential
Have you got the shimmies? Feeling the urge to crack open a bottle of spray tan and put those sequin dresses back on? Are you spontaneously chasse-ing down the street? Here at Dancewear Central we can’t stop practicing our heel turns! I’m afraid it’s Strictly Fever! You no longer have to suffer alone, crossing off the days until October, however. Help is at hand, for this summer Craig Revel Horwood has taken to the road again with his new theatre production; Strictly Confidential.
Based on the concepts explored in the musical Chorus Line, which returned to the West End at the beginning of the year, Strictly Confidential combines spectacular dancing with tantalising titbits of trivia (did you know Artem Chigvintsev hates onions???) and the dancers own stories. Long-time Strictly professionals Natalie Lowe, Ian Waite, Artem Chigvintsev and last years favourite Eastenders actress Lisa Riley are joining Craig on his latest venture. Amongst the dancing, Riley tells the audience about her mother, who died of cancer shortly before Strictly Come Dancing series 10 started, while Artem shares his experiences of growing up in Russia, describing how his ballet teacher wanted to break his hips to make him more flexible. The dancers then go on to describe their Strictly journeys, let the audience in on their favourite moments, and of course provide an adequate amount of behind the scenes gossip. As Craig says, this show should be fab-u-lous.
Strictly Confidential debuted in Plymouth at the Pavilion on June 12th and is now touring throughout Britain before the final performance on July 28th at the Grand Theatre in Leeds. If it turns out to be a hit however, Craig is keen to make this an annual production, reworked each year to tell the story of a new star. So far though, the jury is out! Many critics have complained that the speeches are over-rehearsed and some of the scene’s like Lisa Riley’s London tour and the mike-side brawl are just bizarre. The dancing can’t be faulted however, and as long as they ‘keep dancing’ it seems audiences just can’t resist. It has even had the royal seal of approval, as the Duchess of Cornwall, President of the National Osteoporosis Society, attended a special gala performance to raise money for the society; of which Craig is also a patron. The show’s next stop is Wimbledon on July 1st, so book your tickets now.