Strictly’s Janette & Aljaž return in edgy monochrome to star in what is overwhelmingly a more crowd-pleasing tour, with a hit song list and fabulous live music from Tom Seals and his band. ★★★★

At first, it is difficult for an audience to not draw comparisons between this show and the previous year: before the band enters, audience members are greeted with the familiar black-and-white set, and a piano ceremoniously centre stage. This is the unique cabaret-esque style of dance show that Aljaž & Janette have adopted as their USP, and they are sticking to it.

Last year, ardent Strictly fans (understandably, the core demographic of touring Strictly professional shows) were often left wanting. I read a number of reviews, from critics and sofa critics alike, bemoaning the fact that the Strictly pros were off stage for what felt like an unreasonable length of time for a show with their faces and names so prominently on the posters. Some reported that in places, it felt like they had booked a jazz show, with Janette & Aljaž as special guests…

This year, the production team have nailed the balance of what was probably initially intended in the beginning: we feel the cozy intimacy of a jazz club, whilst embedding the dance numbers seamlessly, both visually and audibly with the live band. In other words, it has all the benefits of a live jazz band, without sounding too much like New Year’s Eve with Jools Holland.

There is a sense that the most mainstream elements of Tom Seals and his band, and the most endearing elements of J&A’s dance routines have met harmoniously to create a show with some genuinely beautiful numbers. Some standout tunes included Here Comes the Sun, by The Beatles; Mein Herr, from Cabaret; and Aerosmith’s, I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.

In between such a strong track list, the crowd-pleasing continues with Aljaž and/or Janette very much present on stage between numbers, usually bantering with their pianist. This received a lot of laughter from the audience and having seen the show twice in one day (don’t ask!) I can tell you that some of the skits genuinely are improvised. For instance, during the matinee, Aljaž’s microphone suddenly stopped working mid-sentence. Seals dutifully stepped into the spotlight, unbuttoning his own shirt to take over, as if he were a perfectly credible, like-for-like replacement.

For Patrons of The London Palladium, they were treated to a surprising appearance from La Voix, during one of these interludes. Aljaž remarked that her dancing had improved during a brief cha cha tutorial, to which La Voix replied that it was because she had a professional partner now…

Entertainment ★★★★☆ The first half felt like it went incredibly quickly and one cannot help but smile at hearing the endearing Aljaž sing, before getting the microphone removed from him. A mature couple even decided to get engaged on the stage during the meet-and-greet with Janette & Aljaž before the show, testament to how Strictly, and its associated professionals are embedded in people’s hearts beyond just Saturday nights.

Musicality ★★★★☆ The magic of a live band fronted by Tom Seals, a range of tracks from cinema, to musical theatre, to popular rock, with stunning vocal support from Jill Marie Cooper makes this show a guaranteed enjoyable listen. One lady even stayed behind at stage door to try and track down the song list from the band, which she lamented was omitted from the programme !

Value ★★★☆☆ For non-restricted seats, the price was between £40-£70 at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. This is at the pricier end for a touring Strictly professional show with band. For larger venues, such as their Palladium show, tickets were more in-line with other tours.