Get set to Samba this Christmas as the stage version of Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom waltzes into the West Yorkshire Playhouse for it’s UK premiere.
Based on the Australian hit film, Strictly Ballroom is the story of a championship balroom dancer who defies the rules to follow his heart. This bright, colourful and sometimes gawdy musical features great numbers like Love Is In The Air, Time After Time and Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, as well as new songs written by internationally acclaimed artsists like Sia, David Foster and Eddie Perfect.
Leading the cast of Strictly Ballroom are Gemma Sutton (The Go Between, Gypsy), and Sam Lips (Broadway – Pippin & Wicked) who is making his UK debut.
Starring alongside them are two familiar faces from West Yorkshire Playhouse’s 2015 production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Tamsin Carroll (Miss Saigon) and Stephen Matthews (The Lion King) who will play Shirley and Doug.
Joining them are Richard Grieve (Priscilla – Queen of the Desert, Palace Theatre & UK Tour, as well as starring in Emmerdale, Home & Away and Neighbours), Julius D’Silva (Made In Dagenham, Adelphi Theatre, Oliver! Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Eve Polycarpou (In The Heights, Kings Cross Theatre) and Charlotte Gooch (Dirty Dancing, Piccadilly Theatre and Top Hat, Aldwych Theatre).
The cast is completed by Luke Jackson, Dale White, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Javier Cid, Rebecca Lisewiki, Lindsay McAllister, Selina Hamilton, Freya Rowley, Javier Santo, and Alexzandra Sarmiento.
Olivier Award-winner Drew McOnie will direct and choreograph the production, based on the original Australian musical created by Baz Lujrmann and Catherine Martin.
Drew McOnie said: “I am incredibly excited about the dynamic and diverse company we have carefully put together to create Strictly Ballroom. Our international company is hugely talented and I can’t wait to introduce them to audiences.”
Strictly Ballroom runs from 30 November 2016 to Saturday 21 January 2017.
