Theatre: Craig Revel Horwood to direct ‘Strictly Ballroom The Musical’ 2020/1 UK & Ireland Tour

Baz Luhrmann’s smash hit musical Strictly Ballroom is set to sweep audiences off their feet once more with the announcement of the new 2020/2021 tour, directed by dancer, choreographer and Britain’s favourite TV judge; the fab-u-lous Craig Revel Horwood. Foxtrotting around the UK and Ireland from September next year, the show is based on the award-winning, global film phenomenon, ‘Strictly Ballroom’ that inspired the world to dance.

This all-singing, all-dancing and all-glittering nine-month tour will see the show dazzle audiences all over the UK & Ireland in Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Hull, Milton Keynes, Sunderland, Bristol, Bromley, Edinburgh, York, Salford, Guildford, Northampton, Southend, Llandudno, Aylesbury, Darlington, Wimbledon, Bournemouth, Derry, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Canterbury, Birmingham, Plymouth, Blackpool, Bradford, Southampton, Ipswich and Reading. Casting announcements will be made in the coming months.

Featuring a show-stopping book by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce, and bringing together a sublime cast of over 20 world class performers, Strictly Ballroom brings to life iconic songs, including Love is in the Air, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps and Time After Time with dynamic and joyous verve. This tour will also feature some amazing new songs by internationally acclaimed artists including Sia, David Foster and Eddie Perfect. The show’s scintillating singing, dazzling dancing and eye-popping costumes will combine together to bring audiences a story of heart, comedy and drama, and promises to be an unforgettable night under the glitter ball.

Craig Revel Horwood said: “I am absolutely delighted to be directing the 2020/21 UK tour of Strictly Ballroom The Musical – it’s going to be fab-u-lous! The theatre is where I come alive and it is there that I feel in my most creative element. Having directed the UK Arena Tour of Strictly Come Dancing for the past few years, I simply cannot wait to put my stamp on this iconic and much-loved musical. Expect some sexy moves, sizzling costumes and a simply sensational evening!”

Strictly Ballroom The Musical tells the beguiling story of Scott Hastings, a talented, arrogant and rebellious young ballroom dancer. When Scott’s radical dance moves see him fall out of favour with the Australian Federation, he finds himself dancing with Fran, a beginner with no moves at all. Inspired by one another, this unlikely pair gather the courage to defy both convention and their families – and discover that, to be winners, the steps don’t need to be strictly ballroom…

This uplifting and courageous musical originated as a stage play that Baz Luhrmann devised with a group of classmates at Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1984. Eight years later he made his screen directorial debut with ‘Strictly Ballroom’, the first instalment in Luhrmann’s acclaimed Red Curtain Trilogy. The vibrant film enjoyed staggering success, winning three awards at the 1993 BAFTA awards and a 1994 Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture, going on to become one of the most successful Australian films of all time, earning more than $80 million at the box office. In April 2014 Strictly Ballroom The Musical had its world premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.

Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical is a fabulous, feel-good evening full of sequins, singing and salsa. This unmissable kaleidoscope of glitz and glamour is a tonic for the soul and will send your heart soaring and toes tapping long after you leave the theatre!

2020 Tour Dates

26/09/2020 – 03/10/2020	Nottingham Theatre Royal
05/10/2020 – 10/10/2020	Wolverhampton Grand
12/10/2020 – 17/10/2020	Hull New Theatre
19/10/2020 – 24/10/2020	Milton Keynes Theatre
26/10/2020 – 31/11/2020	Sunderland Empire
02/11/2020 – 07/11/2020	Bristol Hippodrome
09/11/2020 – 14/11/2020	Bromley Churchill Theatre
16/11/2020 – 21/11/2020	Edinburgh Playhouse
23/11/2020 – 28/11/2020	York Grand Opera House
30/11/2020 – 05/12/2020	Salford The Lowry
21/12/2020 – 02/01/2021	Guildford G Live

2021 Tour Dates

04/01/2021 – 09/01/2021	Northampton Royal & Derngate
11/01/2021 – 16/01/2021	Southend Cliffs Pavilion
25/01/2021 – 30/01/2021	Llandudno Venue Cymru
01/02/2021 – 06/02/2021	Aylesbury Waterside
08/02/2021 – 13/02/2021	Darlington Hippodrome
22/02/2021 – 27/02/2021	Wimbledon New Theatre
01/03/2021 – 06/03/2021	Bournemouth Pavilion
15/03/2021 – 20/03/2021	Derry Millennium Forum Theatre
05/04/2021 – 10/04/2021	Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre
19/04/2021 – 24/04/2021	Glasgow Kings Theatre
26/04/2021 – 01/05/2021	Liverpool Empire
03/05/2021 – 08/05/2021	Canterbury Marlowe
10/05/2021 – 15/05/2021	Birmingham Hippodrome
17/05/2021 – 22/05/2021	Plymouth Theatre Royal
24/05/2021 – 29/05/2021	Blackpool Opera House
31/05/2021 – 05/05/2021	Bradford The Alhambra Theatre
07/06/2021 – 12/06/2021	Southampton Mayflower
14/06/2021 – 19/06/2021	Ipswich Regent
21/06/2021 – 26/06/2021	Reading The Hexagon