See Ore and Joanne - Champions Reignited at Peterborough's New Theatre
Any self-respecting Strictly Come Dancing fan will remember the 2016 series with affection – there was Ed Balls’ Gangnam Style, a farewell to Len Goodman and, of course, the chemistry between the winning duo Tv presenter Ore Oduba and his professional dance partner Joanne Clifton.
Now, a decade on, the Glitter Ball winners are back on stage together with their very own show – 10: Champions Reignited – and Peterborough’s New Theatre is one of the few privileged destinations to welcome them on a limited, week-long tour in August.
“We have only got two weeks of rehearsal because of our schedules and basically that is the reason we only have one week of shows,” explained Joanne, who left Strictly after the win and went on to have a successful musical theatre career.
“I am in Fawlty Towers until August 1, then rehearsals start on August 3, and we open on the 17th.”
So it sounds like it is an opportunity not be missed at the Broadway venue on August 20.
“It is full on for both of us but when opportunities like this come around you have to grab them,” says Ore, now a successful West End performer.
“We knew we had this perfect mix of a series that went down in Strictly folklore as it had so many elements to it – from the judges, the professionals and an amazing cast of contestants. 10 years later Joanne and I have continued to dance and perform and have this passion for what we do. That has never happened with a winning pair before, going on in to different careers, so to bring that back on an anniversary – 10 years – felt very unique and very special. We had to take it and run with it.”
He added: “After Strictly we said we had to do something together – and it has taken a decade. It is a very special opportunity.”
“Dancing together definitely sparked something in both of us,” says Joanne. "I always wanted to do musical theatre and through the series we spoke about it a lot and you could tell right from the first dance that Ore had this performer in him, not just talented in dance but the whole performance and story telling.
“This show together is a chance to celebrate that.
"In last few years we started talking seriously about the dream we had and so when 10 years starts looming that seems like the perfect lightning strike to do this and conversations started really happening. Now after all the talk we are going to get to do this thing.”
So what can the Peterborough audience look forward to?
"We will put of some our Strictly dances in and give people those memories and the joy that we had when we were on there,” confirms Joanne. “But then there are numbers, songs, dance - big musical theatre numbers from shows that we have both done and also ones that one of us has and the other hasn't - I will be duetting with Ore on some of the shows that he has done and I haven't, and vice versa.”
Ore agrees: “Yes, it will definitely have that nostalgic nod to what people might have seen from a Strictly perspective,” he says. “But we couldn't create a show without incorporating the several shows that Joanne and I have been in since.
"Joanne and I haven’t danced together since 2017 when we came back and did the champions dance on the new series opening show. We haven't actually shared a stage since, and have done so much inbetween, so for us to pick that baton up again from Strictly, and add in everything else like this, is amazing. It has been a decade in the making.”
“Yes, we are singers, dancers, performers, so to bring all of those worlds and fuse them together with a wonderful ensemble and incredible musicians making up our band it has really got something for everybody and hopefully a combination that will get the audience excited,” concluded Joanne.