Casting Announced For Strictly Ballroom

Strictly Ballroom at West Yorkshire Playhouse

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 … Read more

Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom to cha cha into the UK for Christmas 2016

Strictly Ballroom at West Yorkshire Playhouse

A new production, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, begins previews at the West Yorkshire Playhouse on Wednesday 30 November. The first UK staging of Strictly Ballroom The Musical, based on the much loved film, runs until 21 January 2017. Drew McOnie (In The Heights, Hairspray) will direct and choreograph the production, which is based on the original Australian musical created by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. Terry Johnson joins the creative team to adapt the original book. McOnie said: “The film Strictly Ballroom has had such a huge impact on me. It inspired me as an 8-year-old dancer to follow my choreographic instinct and gave me the desire to explore the many different ways of communicating ideas through dance. The opportunity to bring that passion and personal connection to the next stage of Strictly Ballroom’s journey means the world to me; and having Baz Luhrmann’s support is a dream … Read more

Is Strictly Ballroom West End Bound?

Is Strictly Ballroom West End Bound?

Baz Bamigboye in today’s Daily Mail has reported that Baz Luhrman is looking at possible London theatres for his stage musical version of his hit film Strictly Ballroom. Based on the 1992 hit movie, the stage production played in Sydney this year and is due to travel on to Melbourne with other Australian stops in contention. Baz is apparently hoping to bring Strictly to the West End in late 2015 or early 2016 if a theatre can be found, but with big musicals like Newsies, Kinky Boots, Pippin, Aladdin, Motown, Elf and others looking for musical houses the show may have to wait a bit. In the meantime apparently, there are revisions being made to the production before its Melbourne opening. Watch this space for more news and in the meantime enjoy this trailer of the Australian production.