Jane McGowan enjoys a sensational night of dance with Strictly stars Aljaz & Janette in their new stage show Remembering the Movies at Guildford’s G Live. The show heads to the London Palladium before arriving in Richmond Theatre next month – if you have not yet got a ticket… I suggest you find one!
OUR VERDICT
I can’t quite recall how many Strictly pro dancers shows I have been too – and while I have enjoyed them all to a lesser or greater extent, none of them came close to Remembering the Movies, the latest offering from husband and wife team Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara.
Following on from their recent tour, Remembering Fred (hence the slightly clunky title), this is a high-octane, whistle-stop tour of the pair’s favourite movie musicals. It opens with, what else but a sequence dedicated to the recent hit The Greatest Showman – that introduces not only Aljaz and Janette and their ensemble of dancers, but also to the dynamic vocals of singers Janine Johnson and Damien Edwards, who contribute a great deal to the overall success of the show.
From there we head back in time to Singing in the Rain (complete with George Sampson-style mash-up), which I must admit slightly misses the mark, before moving through Fosse and Fame. In between numbers the pair chat to the audience, their easy charm met with laughter and applause. Aljaz especially seems very comfortable in these segments as he flirts with his wife and the crowd, which I must admit goes down very well with the predominately female audience.
But for the most part, they let their feet do the talking as they showcase everything from jazz to jive and mambo to musical theatre, all with equal aplomb. One of the standout moments was the couple’s Argentine Tango to Roxanne in tribute to Baz Lurhmann’s Moulin Rouge.
All the dancers, who Aljaz thanks by name at the end of the final act, are young, agile and their energy levels never wain. Everyone looks like they are having a marvelous time and their enthusiasm is infectious as the crowd regularly bursts into applause and whoops ring round the auditorium.
The whole show is simply splendid from beginning to end. The set is more advanced than I have seen before and the costumes are well thought-out and again play a part in the overall professionalism of the performance. I must also mention once again the two singers who performances of classics such as Evergreen, Moon River and This Is Me, really added to the spectacle, skillfully avoiding a cabaret vibe.
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