Kings Theatre Southsea
Review by Nicky Wyatt
5*****
Strictly’s bad boy Brendan may not be on our screens on a Saturday night anymore, he is however touring the country with his fabulous show. It’s like an up close and personal masterclass in all things strictly with lots more thrown in.
The show opens with its title song All Night Long for a Samba which is danced by Brendan and his partner Fay Huddlestone along with six other dancers it is the ultimate opener to create the party vibe. With a superb band directed by Barry Robinson with singers Jenna Lee James and Iain Mackenzie. It was clear from this first dance that we were in for a treat.
Whether you are a Latin on Ballroom fan you can’t fail to be impressed with the choreography of this dance marathon. 14 dances in all with some seriously quick costume changes keep you totally enthralled. At times it’s hard to know where to look first , is it the costumes, the amazing footwork, the expressions especially Brendan’s?! For me it’s the feet first, I find it mesmerising to watch. Do keep an eye on the brass section of the band though, they have their own routines and are entertaining to watch.
There are a great mix of dances and dancers in this show. I’m.not a huge fan of contemporary dance but on this occasion my mind was changed by Nancy Xu tonight not only did she look amazing the dance was just wow. I always love the romance of a waltz, this one is different danced to a Buble song At This Moment it depicts an affair it’s quite beautiful.
The Argentine Tango is meant to he a sultry dance. This one danced by Faye was just that, it’s sultry, erotic and fuelled with passion totally immersive and transports you to a smoky cocktail bar with subdued lighting in Argentina, pure theatre.
The master of the dance showcased his many talents with a dynamic Paso. The posturing and cape work done in perfect unison by Brendan with the 3 other guys Gary, Alberto and Moreno is just fantastic .
The voice of Jenna Lee James as she sang Defying Gravity from Wicked is just spellbinding.
Mixed in amongst this fantastic night of dance there are some really funny moments as Brendan interacts with the audience. He’s a funny guy! He banters about Strictly and has a little gossip and snipe. When he came out in to the audience I thought my friend beside me was going to burst as he was so close. He gave birthday kisses out, amazing how many women had a birthday today! He also sang and played guitar doing a medley of Ed Sheerans Evergreen. He is not only a fantastic dancer but a great host and compere too a great showman.
If you like glitz, glamour and sparkles you will absolutely love this show. Ammaazzzing Da’hling