Strictly Ballroom Tickets

Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 cult hit Strictly Ballroom was based on a stage production that Luhrmann wrote while in theatre school in 1984. It marks the first in his trademark Red Curtain Trilogy, works filmed in Luhrmann’s trademark pastiche, motif style and is still one of the highest grossing films in Australian history. The other two films, Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge, are equally well-known and successful in their own right. Now, Strictly Ballroom is coming to London as a full-length musical, dancing its way into the Piccadilly Theatre in March 2018 to replace the current production of Annie. We can’t wait!

The original musical production has music and lyrics by both Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, with a book by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. It was first presented in Luhrmann’s home town, Sydney, in April 2014 before embarking on a national tour for 18 months. Strictly Ballroom, the story of professional ballroom dancer Scott Hastings and his attempts to shake up the form, is based loosely on Luhrmann’s experiences of growing up around ballroom dancing. Hastings loses the revered Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship when he incorporates non-standard moves into his routine and is forced to find a new partner. He secretly turns to frumpy beginner Fran, who helps him inject a new style into the dance and return triumphantly to the top of the competition tree.

The glittery, sequined Strictly Ballroom comes back to the UK at the perfect time – the way is paved by dance musicals Burn The Floor (at the Shaftesbury Theatre) and The Last Tango (at the Phoenix Theatre) that have played in the West End over the last few years. Strictly Come Dancing is still one of the highest viewed programmes on TV today, even as it enters its fifteenth season. There is also a rich history of adapting dance-based films into musicals and vice versa, with classics like Dirty Dancing, Footloose and Fame treading the boards in the last decade.

The current version of Strictly Ballroom received its UK premiere at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in November 2016 and will be directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, an Olivier Award-winning choreographer for his work on In The Heights in 2016. McOnie was nominated for a further award this year for his production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

With a slew of hits taken from the film, such as “Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps”, “Time After Time” and “Love Is In The Air”, as well as numbers from internationally acclaimed artists, the songs and routines promise to be earworms that you can’t get out of your head for days afterwards. Book your tickets now and get down to this dazzling show as a springtime treat!