Review of Strictly Ballroom - The Musical at Milton Keynes Theatre

Outlandish film director Baz Luhrmann hit the ground running and his cards were plainly visible of his film's visual intent when the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom hit the cinemas. Its feast of eye-popping colours and ridiculous characters set much of the groundwork for all his films to come, and his eventual huge success, even if perhaps more than a few cannot cope with his style. It is perhaps no surprise that this film eventually spurned this stage musical, albeit, taking many years before it finally reached the stage in 2014. So, what about this tour, directed by outlandish dance choreographer Craig Revel Horwood, and fronted by performances from Strictly Come Dancing's Kevin Clifton and now alongside Coronation Street's Faye Brookes? Well, what indeed.

Dear regular suffering readers of my blog may think history is repeating itself, as indeed five short weeks ago, I reviewed Strictly Ballroom on its visit to the Royal & Derngate in Northampton and wasn't at that time totally enamored by the quality of the show. So, you might ask, what was I doing watching it again? Well, the main reason was to see the lead performer Kevin Clifton, a dancer who, I had admired from my years watching Strictly Come Dancing, because, for reasons better known to Mr Clifton, he had decided, not for the first time to duck from the press night at the Derngate. Ever the optimist, I happily and willingly decided to see the show a second time to catch Mr Clifton on stage at Milton Keynes. Especially as many friends had seen him on stage and said that he was actually very good.

Well, turns out lightning strikes far more than twice where Mr Clifton is concerned and yet another press night is ducked and the ever-reliable Edwin Ray steps into the shoes of the character Scott Hastings. He is great in the role, and he is clearly having the time of his life in the spotlight, but, he isn't Mr Clifton, the name that many (expensive) ticket-paying audience members were expecting. It has to be said it is a huge disappointment once again, and this coupled with five other understudies makes for a somewhat interesting evening.

The one who isn't an understudy is Faye Brookes as the nervy, and socially awkward Fran, replacing Maisie Smith in the role recently. She actually is excellent in the role, nicely over-the-top in her behavior, and has a superb singing voice. Her solo in particular was beautifully performed but sadly underappreciated by the very sombre audience on the evening.

The show is a huge mix of success and failure, there are many staging issues, and often scenes are far too busy with a lack of refinement, and are messy at times. However for every negative, there is a huge positive. One of them is the tremendously good Gary Davis as Barry Fife, a superb character and a tremendous singing voice, and someone who knows how to get all of the comedy out of the material.

One other huge success also is Jose Agudo as Rico, a stunningly talented dancer who moves the show into new territory with his role in a stunning Paso Doble end-of-act one sequence. There is little question that this is the best part of what is a mixture of successes.

Less successful is one of the understudies, Benjamin Harrold as Scott's father Doug. Nothing to do with his ability, but just not suited to the age of the role he is the understudy for. Despite his valiant efforts, Harrold simply cannot become the character in looks or moves or have the comedy effect as his story evolves.

Strictly Ballroom is one of those shows that audience members are going to either love or hate. It is extremely brash and visually and aurally attacking, but, if you saw the original film or are a fan of the Luhrmann school of storytelling, I am sure you will love the show. If you are a fan of Mr Clifton and want to see him strut his stuff, I would advise the best chance to see him is to not book on a press evening (which are usually the first at the venue). I wish you all good luck, I won't be planning on trying to see him a third time.

Far from perfect, but a visually appealing spectacle that still entertains.
⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Monday 3rd April 2023 at the Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes.

Strictly Ballroom - The Musical runs at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 8th April 2023.

For further details about Milton Keynes see their website at http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

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