Olympian Louis Smith bought the strength, drummer Harry Judd bought the cool and singer Aston Merrygold bought the banter. But did the three Strictly stars truly ‘Rip It Up’ at Ipswich Regent last night? Well, yes...eventually.
But their musical tribute to the 1960s was a rather slow burner and despite starting with some great tracks - including Be My Baby, Build Me Up Buttercup, a Beach Boys Medley and, ironically, I Can’t Get No Satisfaction - the dances lacked energy and the first half felt a little flat.
There was a beautiful, barefoot routine from Louis and professional dancer, Giulia Dotta, to Stand By Me, and a bit of fun with beach balls to Good Vibrations, but it took a few rocking Tina Turner tunes and some audience interaction to really bring the performance to life just before the interval.
After which, having found their mojo and all important connection with the crowd, the trio returned energised and with a packed second half featuring ballroom, Latin and modern dances to music from Elvis, The Beatles, Burt Bacharach and Aretha Franklin.
READ MORE: Joanna Lumley, Ipswich Regent review: “A fabulous evening, darling”There were gymnastics from Louis (obviously), singing and somersaults from Aston (naturally), a bit of Harry on drums (of course) and the three occasionally dancing shirtless - the audience could not have been happier.
Harry’s romantic duet to Whiter Shade of Pale even brought my niece to tears, though she is a self-confessed super fan and perhaps a little biased.
Special mention must be made of the show’s singer, Jill Marie Cooper, who was simply sensational covering the wide variety of songs and genres - what a voice! Backed by a talented band and joined regularly by Aston on vocals, she provided the perfect setting for the trio to shine.
Throw in a few 60s history lessons from Lulu and Tony Blackburn and a group of professional dancers to fill the stage and you have all the ingredients for an entertaining night out. Just keep the energy up guys, only a few tour dates to go.
The show finished with ‘Dancing in the Street’ and the whole audience dancing in the aisles.
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