Review: Strictly Come Dancing at the AO Arena is ‘joyous, slick and strictly brilliant’

With controversy following the BBC hit TV show Strictly Come Dancing with the same amount of frequency as an outlandish President Trump headline, it is easy to forget just how joyous this dance show extravaganza has become.

And for a show that is 20 years old, I think it can weather any storm it faces for one reason, it brings people so much happiness.

As you file into the AO Arena, to see the annual celebration that is the live tour you can see this on the faces of those entering, score paddles in their hands, glitter and gold on their outfits and often three to four generations sat together, waiting to see their favourite contestants become workers on the dance-floor.

Strictly Come Dancing at the AO Arena

There are two key people missing, Opera singer, Radio host and Go Compare’s Wynne Evans because of some inappropriate comments he made at the press conference and the enthusiastic wonder, that is professional dancer Vito Coppola who is injured.

But as the music starts to pump and the capacity arena audience get warmed up, you would not know, as the anticipation and excitement is completely infectious. And you begin to doubt that that there will be any crying at this discotheque.

You do miss the champion Chris McCausland and his sensational partnership with his brilliant mentor, Dianne Buswell. But he is currently filling theatres with his stand up comedy and he does appear on video to chat about his time on the show, and how the whole experience took him by surprise.

“The scale of this event hits you the minute you arrive”

If you have never been to the Strictly tour before, the huge scale of this event hits you the minute you arrive. The floor which is usually filled with seats or used as a standing space for some gigs, becomes a gigantic dancefloor. It is so big that some the contestants have to run across it to get to the judges’ feedback section in time.

This year, all of the judges are present, including the upbeat Motsi Mabuse who is making her debut on this tour. The host is former Strictly dancer and It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara, who is also appearing as Roxie Hart in the hit musical Chicago this Summer at the Lowry. And she still has all the moves and is not hanging up her dancing shoes any day soon.

All of the audience favourites compete for a glitterball trophy and essentially deliver their greatest hits in the form of two dancers, alongside some huge group numbers. The judges give their feedback, then score them. And just like the TV show, the audience vote and some of the proceeds from these texts go to Comic Relief.

“Sarah Hadland exudes sheer joy”

Actor and comedian Sarah Hadland exudes sheer joy with her new partner Nikita Kuzmin, you can see that she is a super fan, and she has genuine shock on her face that she is now performing in an arena. Watching her and Nikita perform her iconic Madonna Cha-Cha-Cha to Like a Prayer is a real highlight, as she is an absolute livewire and covers so much ground. And in the words of Madge, “You can feel her power.”

Tasha Ghori – an advocate for the deaf community

Representation is everything and seeing Tasha Ghori, who has become an advocate for the deaf community – bring so much emotion to her two dances makes you misty eyed. Her partnership with Aljaž Škorjanec is built on respect and their chemistry is incredible.

One of the most underrated celebrity dancers is Montell Douglas, a gladiator on and off the dancefloor, she brings grace and speed to her two dances and exudes precision and commitment with her new partner – chuffed to bits – Kai Widdington.

Eastender Jamie Borthwick

Eastender Jamie Borthwick is a grafter and it shows, he looks like a pro from the minute he steps on the expansive dancefloor. He and professional dancer Michelle Tsiakkas glide onto the stage like two Golden age Hollywood film stars, I love both of their routines.

Audience favourite JB Gill has two pro dancers, just like he did in the show. And it is wonderful to see Amy Dowden back where she belongs, alongside Lauren Oakley who gallantly stepped in when Amy was ill. JB has a connection to both of these dancers and he proves just how versatile he is, and he makes it look effortless.

Manchester’s Shayne Ward

Manchester’s Shayne Ward is on home turf with Nancy Xu and without the cameras and social media commentary, you see what the city has always known, he is a nice guy and committed to what he does. I love his Beatles inspired quickstep.

A dance-floor this size needs more than two dancers at a time and Dianne Buswell, Karen Hauer, Neil Jones, Katya Jones, Robbie Kmetoni, Jake Leigh, and Jowita Przysal bring energy and moves to die for, doing far more than filling a gap. The Strictly Singers and the band provide the music that makes you want to shut up and bust a few moves yourself.

An annual highlight is the Judges dance, as it allows them all to let their hair down and show you that they have lived what they are talking about weekly. And this year it deservedly brings the audience to their feet.

This arena tour is super rehearsed in terms of the banter and it may be as cheesy as it is slick, but no-one phones it in. There is nowhere to hide in an arena and this year the quality of dance is key, as the standard is really high, as there is no comedy act for us to look at through our hands.

Ticket for Strictly Come Dancing – Live Tour

This is Strictly brilliant dancing.

Strictly Come Dancing – Live Tour continues until 9th February and tickets can be booked here.

For a full list of all the amazing shows and events on at the AO Arena this year, please click here