Based on Baz Lurhman’s 1992 film, Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, packs enough glitz, sequins, ounces of charisma and unstoppable dance numbers to fill a stadium of adoring Strictly Come Dancing fans.

The source material, a huge inspiration for Olivier Award winning director and choreographer Drew McOnie, proves to be a real crowd pleaser with not only a hilarious and surprisingly charming script by Craig Pearce but also with the addition of a number of pop favourites, such as I Wanna Dance with Somebody and Time After Time, arranged suitably in a more orchestral and lush scoring alike to many other jukebox musicals of the current popular genre.

Pop Idol legend Will Young, adorned with sequins aplenty, played the camp mock host Wally Strand, aiding the dramatic poignancy of various scenes looking on with sympathy, and at times a sense of melancholy, suggesting perhaps his character was also a former dancer who lost his flame, similar to Scott’s father, Doug Hastings (played by Stephen Matthews, who had just the right mix of awkwardness and fantastic comic timing).

The dance numbers are undoubtedly the main event with a feast of styles. A favourite number would have to be the finale of Act 1, where the protagonist, Scott Hastings (danced and acted impeccably by Jonny Labey) finds his ‘rhythm’ in the pasa doble, a dance with enough grit, raw intensity and passion to immediately inspire you to get up and take dance lessons that very moment. With the band set behind the action on stage, with Young singing beside in a semi-concert setting, this worked well particularly in the competition scenes, placing the audience right in the action.

Zizi Strallen as the initially shy Fran, shines brightly as her character comes out of her awkward shell and becomes the electrifying dancer we see for the rest of the show.

Anna Francolini as Scott’s mother, Shirley and Lauren Stroud as Scott’s former dance partner Liz Holt, are both belly achingly funny, delivering totally over the top performances and a special mention must go to Eve Polycarpou as Fran’s sweet and exuberant grandmother whose voice (which I wish I could have heard more of) felt right from the soul.

Guaranteed, you’ll leave this show grinning from ear to ear and high-kicking your way home.

LAURENCE KILSBY 5/5