Leeds Grand continues its musical adaptations of classic films from 1992, following the recent tours of The Bodyguard and Sister Act (and technically The Commitments was still on in cinemas then too!).
It’s been a mixture of results, from the surprisingly fabulous The Bodyguard to Sister Act and The Commitments. Next on the list is Strictly Ballroom, one of my absolute favourite films growing up. Will it reach the giddy heights of The Bodyguard or will I be left wanting to waltz right out at the interval?
Happily, it was the former. I thoroughly enjoyed this production. The story follows the film accurately – always a bonus for me. Set in 90s Australia, ballroom dancer Scott Hastings is about to win a big (note: amateur!) State dance competition, but is feeling frustrated with the strict rules regarding what steps can and can’t be danced. After years of being pushed by his overbearing dance teacher mother, he starts to create his own moves, much to everyone’s horror. The only person who will do these dances with him is meek little Spanish girl Fran, who (shock horror) becomes amazing very quickly. However, Fran and her passionate family end up teaching Scott more about dancing from the heart than he actually teaches Fran about ballroom. The whole message of the show is about living your life to the full, to act without fear: to dance your own dance steps even if it means not winning the show.
Fran and Scott are the stars of the show (and their celebrity status is what draws in most of the punters). Scott is performed by Grimsby born Strictly Come Dancing legend Kevin Clifton and obviously his dancing is superb. What’s more impressive is that his voice is excellent too, although his acting is rather overexerted at times, even for a musical. Faye Brookes (of Coronation Street fame), who plays Fran, might not quite match Clifton for either dancing or singing, but then she isn’t meant to be the star (amateur!) dancer that Scott is. However, what she lacks in dancing (which to be fair she’s still very good at) she certainly makes up for in personality. Her shy, awkward character is surprisingly extremely funny, her endearing little motifs and innocent humour making her tremendously likeable, a great contrast to Scott, who lacks a bit of her charisma.
The highlight for me was the finale of Act 1, where Scott attends a Spanish party and is given a lesson on how to dance from the heart. Jose Agundo, who plays Fran’s dad, steals the scene and the show with his outstanding and unbelievably well-controlled Spanish dance routine. Fran’s Grandma, played by Karen Mann, was another star of the show, and in this scene her phenomenal trumpet playing blew me away (pardon the pun). Both roles were just oozing in character and the energy from them and the ensemble as a whole made this scene enoyably memorable.
Once again the band, under the direction of Dustin Conrad, was a highlight in the show. Their flawless performance, with some difficult tempo changes and quick transformation in style, were smoothly done. The live music performance on stage in the final of Act 1 again gave this scene added panache.
The show wasn’t without its faults: some of the original music lacked pace. Some of the direction, too, seemed to be taken out of my ‘what not to do in GCSE Drama performance’ guide. The ticking actions by the chorus for example were nothing sort of cringy, as was the mimed backstabbing under red lights in the opening and some of the other more symbolic, expressionistic actions that just don’t work in a flamboyant musical like this.
My main criticism of the show though was voice control. I can appreciate that the Australian accent is hard to maintain. Some of the actors like Faye Brookes absolutely nailed it, whereas others seem to travel through every continent before ending back in Leeds. Enunciation was an issue – I couldn’t understand what one particular performer was saying.
Flaws aside, I would still highly recommend this show to anyone who just wants a really enjoyable night out and especially to anyone who loves dancing. The lead performances, and other strong character roles such as Nikki Belsher and Mark Sangster, who play Scott’s ill-suited parents, help to keep the energy of the story going, whilst the ensemble perform some visually impressive and perfectly executed chorus numbers.
This was a success from yet another 1992 film. I’m not sure if they have any more to throw at us from that year now. Next week it’s back a few years to 1989, where the film Steal Magnolias has been adapted into a musical, too. Apparently, this is the thing to do now, so if you have suggestions on the next film you want to see in song form I’d send your suggestion down to the West End without delay. I’m personally hoping they continue the 1992 theme with Reservoir Dogs the musical…anything seems possible these days!
Strictly Ballroom The Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 3 to Saturday 8 July 2023.
Book tickets online at leedsheritagetheatres.com or call the box office on 0113 243 0808
Photography by Ellie Kurttz.
