As previously announced ex EastEnder, 2020 Strictly Come Dancing finalist and Strictly Come Dancing 2019 Children In Need Special champion Maisie Smith will make her musical theatre debut alongside her 2019 Strictly pro-partner Kevin Clifton in the new production of the hit romantic comedy set within the sequin-drenched world of competitive ballroom dancing. Emma is an experienced entertainment news journalist with NCTJ accreditation and a First-Class Honours Degree in Journalism. Having started her career as a broadcast journalist, Emma’s voice has been heard on varying radio stations across the UK including Absolute, Magic, BBC Three Counties Radio, LBC London News and more. The film is frequently referenced on the American iteration of Dancing with the Stars, as well as influencing the name of the original UK version Strictly Come Dancing. a b c d e f g h i Albert, Jane (2010). House Of Hits: The Great Untold Story Of Australia's First Family Of Music. Richmond, Australia: Hardie Grant Books. pp.316–331. ISBN 978-1740668811. In May 2011, it was announced that Strictly Ballroom would be adapted into a stage musical and premiere at the Sydney Lyric theatre. It premiered on 12 April 2014. [4] The production moved to Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne in January 2015, [22] and the Lyric Theatre, QPAC in Brisbane in September 2015. [23]

The show received its British premiere on 30 November 2016 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. The show had its North American premier in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre on 25 April 2017. For full terms and conditions and information on the application process please visit our Strictly T&Cs.

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Brookes dazzles as Fran (‘Just Fran’), a relative beginner who wants to twirl with golden boy Scott Hastings (Clifton) after he loses longtime partner Liz. She’s flounced off, after the dance floor rebel Scott’s insistence on using his own, crowd-pleasing moves in their routines loses them competitions. It’s strictly ballroom, you see. In addition, the film was screened at several notable festivals to great critical acclaim, winning some major accolades, including the People's Choice Awardat the Toronto International Film Festivaland the Most Popular Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival. One of the best scenes is when his character's taught how to do the Paso Doble as it was intended. The man teaching him is the man who choreographed it for the movie, a truly great dancer in his own right. And the g irl playing Fran, a non-dancer in real life, learned all the dances just for this film. Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann in his feature directorial debut. The film is the first in his " Red Curtain Trilogy" of theatre-motif-related films; it was followed by 1996's Romeo + Juliet and 2001's Moulin Rouge! [2] Smith who is due to remain with the production until 25 March 2023 added: “Dancing in Strictly has been a huge part of my life, and been so much fun. I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to continue that journey in Strictly Ballroom The Musical. Not only do I get to make my musical theatre debut with my former partner in crime, Kevin Clifton, but I get to work with Craig Revel Horwood and Jason Gilkison again too – I can’t wait.”

If you’ve ever been even a little bewitched by the glamour of the glitterball, Strictly Ballroom: The Musical will send your spirits soaring. Kieran Cooper, a graduate of Edinburgh’s MGA Academy of Performing Arts, plays Scott’s pal Wayne, who’s far more desperate to learn the bogo pogo move than any sane man should be. It’s a shame he’s saddled, for no obvious reason, with a ginger fright wig. In the next round, Scott and Fran make a dramatic entrance and begin dancing, immediately riveting the audience. Fife tries to disqualify them, but Scott's friend Wayne Burns, having overheard Fife's treachery along with his partner Vanessa Cronin, disconnects the PA system, allowing Scott and Fran to dance a Paso Doble routine that impresses the audience. Desperate, Fife tries to turn off the music, but Scott's younger sister Kylie and her partner Luke interfere until Fife's girlfriend Charm Leachman disconnects the sound system. Fife then disqualifies Scott and Fran, but Doug begins clapping out a beat to enable the pair to continue dancing. The audience claps along, as Scott and Fran resume dancing. Liz, having had a change of heart, turns on Fife and Leachman and restores the music, and Scott and Fran's spirited dancing brings down the house. Doug asks Shirley to dance with him and the whole audience joins them on the floor. As the performance finishes, Scott and Fran kiss.Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" " (PDF). Film.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011 . Retrieved 21 March 2011. Sadly, Ted Albert died suddenly early in production and there is a dedication to him in the credits. Another sad event was that Pat Thomson, who played Scott’s mother Shirley Hastings, died on the 19 th April 1992, three weeks before the premiere. The feel-good story of the rule-breaking dancer and the shy outsider who transforms into the perfect partner first hit the stage as a student play. The play was then transformed into a film by Luhrmann and designer Catherine Martin before the duo working with Terry Johnson, who joined the team to adapt the original book, to return to the stage in its musical incarnation at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in 2014.

Strictly Ballroom has been a family favourite here for most of the thirty years it has been around. It was my daughter who saw the 30 th anniversary announcement from the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and passed it on to me. She also loves this film and I think my grandchildren will be being introduced to it before too much longer. Just to embarrass her…we went through a period of finding lip marks on the same spot on the TV screen every day. We were watching Strictly Ballroom and noticed a point when Paul Mercurio filled the screen and his lips matched up with the smears that kept appearing on the TV! Kevin Clifton is a revelation. Of course he can dance a dream but it turns out his singing is more than serviceable and his acting is really rather decent – he’s thoroughly convincing as he essays Scott’s journey from arrogant wunderkind to perfect partner. He’s even pretty good at the Aussie accent – maybe it’s all those years spent with Antipodean Strictly colleagues. And while initially dubious at the fact Clifton is about twice as old as his character, his natural boyishness soon has one forgetting such stuff. Directed and co-choreographed by the hard-to-please King of the Saturday night put-down, Craig Revel Horwood, and co-choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing’s creative director Jason Gilkison, the production is due to launch in Portsmouth on 26 September 2022, before dancing into venues across the UK with the tour taking its final bows in Bristol in July 2023. Samba to Slow Fox" is a featurette that includes interviews with actual ballroom dancers and footage from competitions. The video seems fairly old, and I thought the whole thing was a little bit weird, but it’s definitely insightful and should appeal to anyone interested in a glimpse at Australian ballroom dancing.

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Strictly Ballroom is based on a critically acclaimed stage play, originally set up in 1984 by Luhrmann and fellow students during his studies at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney. An expanded version of the play became a success at the Czechoslovakian Youth Drama Festival in Bratislava in 1986. In 1988, it had a successful season at Sydney's Wharf Theatre, where it was seen by Australian music executive Ted Albert and his wife Antoinette. They both loved it, and, when Albert, soon after, set up the film production company M&A Productions with ex- Film Australia producer Tristram Miall, they offered Luhrmann their plan to transform his play into a film. [3] He agreed on the condition that he would also get to direct it. [4] Plot [ edit ] During its successful run at the Wharf, the play was seen by an influential Australian music executive. Ted Albert was a leading record producer and music publisher, best known in Australia as the discoverer and original producer of 1960s pop sensations The Easybeats. By the time he saw Strictly Ballroom, Albert was the managing director of his family-owned music publishing company Albert Music (formerly J. Albert & Sons) and its subsidiary, the highly successful record label Albert Productions, which scored a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s with acts including John Paul Young and AC/DC. It plays with the concept. Sets up jokes, telegraphs them even but, when the punch line arrives, it’s still funny. That’s down to the delivery and acting skills of the cast particularly from youngster Kylie (Lauren Hewett). But all the cast are excellent; both the seasoned veterans and the relative newcomers. Despite this being a debut feature for the director and some of the cast they all perform as naturally as if this was a documentary or a news report. With glittering costumes, a clever, adaptable set, and sharp lighting, the designs match the performances. The players make the most of an occasionally hilarious script – Clifton’s comedy moves are used to great effect – while the band led by Dustin Conrad is on fire. Dean, Jodie (10 September 2015). "Strictly Ballroom the Musical sweeps Brisbane QPAC crowd off their feet". Brisbane Times . Retrieved 17 August 2017.