While Strictly was hitting the headlines again for all the wrong reasons at the weekend, two of its biggest names were delighting a Salford audience by reminding us of the joy of dancing.
Judge Anton Du Beke, fast becoming a national treasure, graced the stage at The Lowry with pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, the subject of some of those headlines.
Gio has denied allegations made against him and judging by the rapturous applause he received, his popularity remains as strong as ever.
Both he and Anton appeared relaxed and happy as they engaged in banter between dances, making the mainly female audience laugh from the get-go when the two of them opened the show sitting on a bench in their boxer shorts, using newspapers to cover their modesty.
They share a natural ability to engage their audience and the way they ad-lib and make each other laugh suggests this is a genuine friendship and not one manufactured for their television road trips.
It almost goes without saying that the dancing was superb, these two are professionals from head to twinkling toes. The energy of a live show, with a live band and singers, is an altogether different experience to watching on TV and we were encouraged to get involved by clapping along.
Giovanni’s dance partner Lauren Oakley (who became a Strictly pro two years ago) also puts in an incredible performance and the pair’s Argentine tango was as precise as you’d expect. Anton’s leading lady was Grace Cinque-White who was equally incredible. Anton got a laugh when he praised her for being “bendy” and a joy to partner, unlike many of the celebrities he was teamed up with on Strictly.
At the age of 58 he’s old enough to be 33-year-old Gio’s dad, but you’d never guess the age gap when they’re dancing together. The hours of practice and fitness levels which must go into a show like this are surely on the scale of athletes preparing for the Olympics, and yet they make it look so effortless.
We were treated to dances from the 1950s, introduced by Gio doing a very funny Elvis impression; and a Wild West section for Anton to live out his dream of being a sheriff while Gio claimed it had always been his ambition to be a cowboy in Salford, gaining a huge laugh.
There was also a singalong tribute to Eurovision during which the pair donned various outlandish costumes and then 1970s-style wigs to dance to Waterloo.
The two of them are obviously serious about their craft, but they don’t take themselves too seriously. Self-deprecating humour runs throughout the show and when a woman on our row shouted out “Love you Anton!”, he was quick to reply “Thank you sir!”.
Another audience member corrected Gio’s pronunciation of Salford, with Anton explaining that it’s not Sal but Sol, much to Gio’s bemusement. And when Anton asked the audience what the river was called someone shouted “canal”, which allowed him to joke about the River Canal.
Special mention has to go to Stacey Green, the British Sign Language interpreter for this performance, who did an amazing job and even changed her dresses to fit in with every dance scene.
This was the final day of the Together tour organised by the Strictly Theatre Company, which includes a large support crew making sure everything runs smoothly. Shout out to carpenter Anthony Spate who was very helpful in answering some of my questions after the show.
After the homage to disco finale, Anton and Giovanni and their team of dancers received a well-deserved standing ovation. This might have been the end of this tour, but it’s not goodbye. They will be back next year for their Together Again tour, and both are doing solo shows in the meantime.
Strictly might be having a wobble, but these two remain sure-footed.
Review by Helen Johnston
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