Strictly Ballroom, for those of us not familiar with it from studying it as a Year 12 text, is the story of Scott Hastings (Thomas Lacey), a professional ballroom dancer struggling with his own form of self expression, true love and going against his family’s wishes.
The current stage show is also being directed by Baz Luhrmann, and his glittery touch shows. Even the seats the punters are sitting on are covered in sequins, while the costumes (designed by Oscar award winner Catherine Martin) perfectly evoke the glitz and glamour of professional ballroom tournaments.
The musical numbers are full of energy, to the point where everyone was humming ‘Time of my Life’ as we left Her Majesty’s Theatre. I would challenge anyone not to have a tear in their eye when our leads Fran (Phoebe Panaretos) and Scott realise their feelings for each other during the first choral performance of ‘Love is in the air’ – or at least give a manly sniff.
It would have been great to see more character development with Fran’s spanish family. They form such a strong part of Scott’s development, and provide the show’s overarching theme of a life lived in fear is a life half-lived, yet seem to barely appear in the musical overall.
I really enjoyed the musical, and would recommend it to anyone. There was a lot of fun and energy, and everyone got to join in on a sing and dance in the aisles afterwards. You can purchase tickets here.
