TRIP the light fantastic at the Edinburgh Playhouse for one night only next Tuesday, when EastEnders' favourite Sophie Lawrence and the popular Sam Kane glide onto the Greenside Place stage in a lavish new production of ballroom dance spectacular, Simply Ballroom.
Choreographed by BBC TV's Strictly Come Dancing stars Erin Boag and Anton Du Beke, Simply Ballroom brings live to the stage the world of ballroom dancing with a team of inter-national champions, fabulous costumes, virtuoso perform-ances and breathtak
ing grace.
"The evening starts with lots of big, choreographed dance routines, then we have some solo pieces and duets. In the second half we do an in-house competition where our dancers dance and the audience vote for their favourite," explains the ever-hyper Lawrence, who is obviously in her element fronting the show.
"It's quite different to anything I've ever done before because there's a bit of hosting, a bit of singing, a bit of dancing – it's just great, fun entertainment that is lovely to watch, a really happy show."
The fact that Simply Ballroom reunites Lawrence with her Boogie Nights co-star Sam Kane – the pair last appeared together in the Capital at the Festival Theatre in the feel-good 70s musical six years ago – is an added bonus.
"I've actually been involved with the company for a couple of years now. They do a lot of shows at holiday camps and would always ask me to host them.
"When this tour came up they asked if I would you like to be the host. Up until now Lionel Blair has always done it, but they wanted to revamp the show and give it a new look, so they asked me and Sam, which is lovely because I know Sam well. We've worked a lot together, and it's great fun."
Simply Ballroom takes the audience on a whirlwind tour of ballroom dancing and the flawless performances of the show's dance champions create a lavish Riverdance-style experience.
"You'd be amazed how many young people come to see the show. We get kids as young as six and seven who have just fallen in love with the whole idea – all due to the television programme ballroom and Latin dancing is back in fashion.
"I think that's fantastic because when I look out into the audience I can see whole families – grandad, grandma the parents and the children – all watching the same thing. It's very rare these days that everybody can go and watch the one thing together."
The show has also been a big hit in the States, where one of Lawrence's heroines has stepped into her hosting role – Singin' In The Rain legend, Debbie Reynolds.
"We took the show to Las Vegas last November," the elfin-like actress explains. "I went out there to rehearse the show with the dancers – Las Vegas was just an amazing place to be. The show is touring the USA and Debbie Reynolds has my job. I met her in rehearsals and she was so lovely. She tells amazing stories about Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire and Liz Taylor.
"It's quite a lot to get your head round and I was totally in awe of her because Singin' In The Rain is my all time favourite film. She was everything I wanted her to be – an old Hollywood star with all the grandeur and presence that comes with it."
In the American tour Reynolds sings Good Morning and, of course, Singin' In The Rain. So too does Lawrence, who smiles, "They put both songs in the show for her. You can't have Debbie Reynolds in a show and not let her sing those songs. So when we do that section in our show, I always think of it as a bit of a tribute to her."
Reynolds also passed on some words of wisdom to her celebrity fan.
"She always said, 'There's no point being in show-business if you're not having fun'. And that's absolutely true. You have to love it to be in it," says Lawrence. "She can still dance, you know. She's 80-odd but she can still do it, a real entertainer."
Unlike Lawrence, who has a confession to make – how good are her dancing skills? "Ah, mmm, minimal," she laughs. "I once had a tango lesson which was an experience, I can tell you. In the show I do a basic waltz with Sam. We also do a basic quickstep and bits and pieces, but to say I was anywhere near decent would be a lie."
Time then to put on your dancing shoes and get down to the Playhouse for a ballroom blitz 2008-style – you won't even notice that Brucie is missing.
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Simply Ballroom, Edinburgh Playhouse, Greenside Place, Tuesday, 7.45pm, £20.50-£22.50, 0844-847 1661The full article contains 811 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
