Review of Strictly Ballroom - The Musical at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

The film director Baz Luhrmann is a somewhat unique person, the creator of colourful, cartoon-like characters, broad landscapes, and an exceptional user of contrasting music styles. As a result, his work is a Marmite entity, and this musical of Luhrmann's first film, Strictly Ballroom, very much falls into another area between those jars of Marmite in itself. It embodies the sheer ridiculous cartoonish world the film inhabited, but under the direction of Craig Revel Horwood, sometimes becomes a muddled mess, with less clarity than the film. However, is it worth your precise theatre time?

This is a maybe. It doesn't start well, well, when it started after a ten-minute technical delay, that is, as there is an introduction from director Craig Revel Horwood that feels like it goes on forever and makes the toes curl with the inane content. Even before that, we had also had the announcement that the star of the show Kevin (Clifton) from Grimsby was not performing, so, before the show has even begun, there is disappointment ebbing from the audience. I heard someone behind me utter the line "Oh, Kevin Clifton isn't performing again". It turns out, he seems to be a serial offender on this tour.

Anyway, enough of the negatives. Strictly Ballroom - The Musical is a fun show, if not pushing all of the right buttons. It is bright and breezy, full of a lot of energy, and despite the sheer amount of people onstage at times, some good dance routines.

In the shoes of Kevin Clifton for this performance as Scott is Edwin Ray, and it is fair to say that he does a good job. He has the moves for the dance routines and vocally he is also excellent. However, he doesn't quite have the showman in him for the lead role, and as a result, the big main character doesn't feel as if he is any more important than many of the side characters much of the time despite the story being driven though his characters aim of winning the Pan-Pacific Championships. There also feels a disconnection between Ray as Scott and his eventual dance partner, and maybe more, Fran, played by Maisie Smith.

Smith gives a likable performance as Fran, if a little shrill, even more so than many of the other characters, shrill seems to be the requirement in this show. At the outset, she is portrayed as a sort of budget Janet Weiss from Rocky Horror, and then, as is the standard fair of this kind of show, a quick makeover and the awkward duckling becomes a swan. Maybe too unbelievable at times, but this is musical theatre darlings, so, go with it. Smith also has the moves for her pairing with Ray, but cannot match him, or others, vocally sadly.

The best performances though lie in the hands of the older members of the cast. Gary Davis is fab-u-lous as Barry Fife, head of the Dance Federation. Part Donald Trump, part Sir Les Patterson, sexually predatory his character for the most lurid moments of the show, but, you can't help but like him, but hate yourself at the same time for laughing at his antics. Mark Sangster is also a delight as Scott's father Doug Hastings, a brilliantly comic performance. I also really liked Karen Mann as Abuela, a lovely, softly played performance and she delivers her songs lovingly.

Finally from the cast, I must mention Jose Agudo as Rico, a stunningly talented dancer who leads the very best scene of the whole show when we venture into Paso Doble territory. It builds impressively and ends with the Paso version of Riverdance, and looks superb.

Craig Revel Horwood's direction has its moments and yes, he knows how to create dance sequences of course. However at times, the stage simply is too busy with action from the dancers for the space available, and just becomes a muddled mess. He also manages the cardinal sin of blocking a vital scene towards the end of the show by leaving two dancers slap-bang centre downstage, omitting the main players of the scene from view for a large number of the audience.

I cannot say that Strictly Ballroom isn't enjoyable, it is crazy fun entertainment that you need to embrace with the madness intended. However, for all that, there are too many issues that make this fail to be a perfect number 10 from the judges.

A crazy world of music and dance that isn't perfect, but not without its charms.

⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Monday 27th February 2023 at the Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton.

Strictly Ballroom - The Musical is at Royal & Derngate until 4th March 2023.

For further details about the Royal & Derngate and to book tickets see their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Production photos: Ellie Kurttz
Images feature Kevin Clifton who was not performing at the performance reviewed.