LOV E CEL EBR I T Y
to think that we create a show that has something for everyone. There is a lot of laughter and chat throughout the show as well, so essentially, we just have a ball!
In preparation for your tour Show Man, do you plan all the choreography for the dances or do you work with a team? How difficult is it to come up with new ideas for song choices and routines?
It is very much a team effort between myself and my cast. I will have certain ides as to how I want the show to form but it’s important for me to have the cast involved. I love the creativity that comes from that and it makes for a better show. Song choices are difficult, especially now as this will be my fifth production. I need to make sure there is something for everyone, old, new and in-between. There has to be excitement, beauty, emotion, character… so much goes into these decisions. My wife Zoe, my Musical Director and I spend many days throwing around ideas and eventually we have ourselves a show list.
How will Show Man differ from your previous productions?
This show will be quite different from before. It’s slightly more theatrical and we’re changing the line-up of talent. We will have five male dancers and three female which will allow us to do more tricks and stage choreography differently from how we have before. With a new set and new look, it should feel quite different and, of course, with every new production comes new costuming and lighting. I’m very excited about putting this one together. At the same time, over the last ten years we’ve created certain numbers throughout the different productions that have really stood out and we’ve loved performing. Subsequently we have had many requests
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from audiences asking that we perform them again. With this in mind, I’ve decided to recreate a handful of them for the new show. One in particular has been a personal favourite for me, Cinderella by Stephen Curtis Chapman. It’s a magical number, telling the story of a father and daughter, which I created with my baby girl Aurélia in mind shortly after her birth. I can’t wait to perform it again, along with several other favourites as well as many exciting and brand-new numbers, all under the Show Man title.
How do you cope with touring your live shows? Does your family go with you?
It is definitely hard but I love every second of it. To have what you have created appreciated in the way that it has been, makes it the best job in the world. I love touring more than anything else that I do and I think that it shows when I’m on stage. Obviously when it comes to family, it is hard. My wife Zoe and our children don’t often come with me as touring isn’t really conducive to normal family living. As a team we create the tour and Zoe is at the heart of a lot of the decisions I make as they affect our lives so dramatically.
Since the announcement that you wouldn’t be returning to Strictly Come Dancing for the 2018 series, how has your life changed?
It’s just been extremely busy. I’ve not stopped, which is great. If it had stopped after the announcement then it would’ve been a horrible feeling and I suppose that was the biggest fear at the time when I found out I wouldn’t be back. It’s actually allowed me opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. Strictly takes up such a large amount of time in which you can’t do anything else. It’s a very exciting new chapter for me which I’m embracing. K U D O S J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9