Simply Ballroom: simply fabulous

Those that did not mange to see Lionel Blair host the Spanish Premier of Simply Ballroom in Torrevieja or Benidorm last week (some because of Sunday’s flooded roads) missed one of best ‘feel-good’ shows staged on the Costa Blanca. From the moment the ever-youthful Lionel Blair bounded onto stage (he’s only 78, or so he says) the entire audience were clapping, tapping their toes, smiling and laughing. Such was the positive reaction to the show that the producers ‘Qdos Productions’ is now looking at expanding the show format and touring it in different parts of Spain, including a return to Torrevieja.

Lionel Blair was certainly in top form. Fresh from his performance at the Edinburgh Festival in ‘School for Scandal’ and, for the very first time in his career, his one man ‘Tap and Chat’ show, he had the audience in the palm of his hand as he soft shoed, sang and worked the audience, teaching them how to shimmy, shake and even Salsa. He also mentioned his desire to bring his one-man show to Spain in 2010.

Simply Ballroom is a dance show for audiences of all ages. Jon Conway of Qdos Productions Ltd, created this ballroom dance extravaganza which has played in London’s West End, toured South Africa and Dubai as well as enjoying a residency in Las Vegas plus a nationwide American tour in 2008 with the legendary Debbie Reynolds.

Lionel Blair’s glamorous co-host, Claire Simpson, also sang and danced and most importantly translated everything into Spanish, although a show like this, full of spectacle and movement, overcame all language barriers regardless. This was also one of the youngest professional casts to grace the stage of the Municipal Theatre. Rather than bringing over dancers from the UK, the producers auditioned and rehearsed local, young, professional, ballroom dance champions from the Valencian Community. However, stars of the show were quite possibly the two ten year olds who closed the show with spectacular Latin American routines, bringing the house down. Two of the stars of the TV Phenomenon ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Erin Boag and Anton Du Beke originally choreographed the show’s ensemble numbers that the Spanish cast carried off with aplomb.

The Spanish premiere tour was directed and staged by Christopher Wood of Qdos Productions Ltd in conjunction with Marie Perrin of BMC Productions.
Christopher‘s constant and busy schedule sees him collaborating creatively on productions worldwide and more recently has seen him putting his talents to productions here in Spain. He took particular pride in producing the critically acclaimed ‘Peter Pan’ in conjunction with Marie Perrin, using local young talented actors and students and playing to sell out audiences on the Costa Blanca. Qdos entertainment also holds the accolade of being the largest producer of pantomimes in the world, with plans to bring Cinderella to the Costa Blanca in the near future.