Here Come The Boys ★★★ The London Palladium | May 25 - Jun 9, 2021


Here Come The Boys is a spin-off from Strictly Come Dancing and features four of its male dancers past and present. The show fills the vast London Palladium stage with testosterone stoked routines; very little here is subtle but it certainly pleases the predominantly female audience. The first half largely involves Jive, TikTok, and Salsa. After the interval, Ballroom makes a welcome, but all too brief, appearance along with an entertaining Swing section. A series of four romantic pas de deux entitled "After Hours" slowed the pace down and displayed some beautiful dancing. In general, Gareth Walker's choreography seemed to rely on familiar steps with occasional flashes of brilliance. It would have been interesting to see these obviously talented guys tested on works by the likes of Jerome Robbins. The most spectacular and exuberant dancing came from the hugely popular Graziano Di Prima whose whirling spins and lifts were breathtaking. The show is compered by an ebullient Karim Zeroual, himself a former finalist on the TV series. He also features in several of the routines but great dancing takes more than getting the steps right. Pasha Kovalev, Aljaž Škorjanec and Robin Windsor complete the team of leading dancers joined by a very hard-working Nadiya Bychkova and four excellent support dancers. This show certainly had the audience on its feet at the end and is extremely welcome after all these months of being deprived of live entertainment.

Reviewed by D.S.J.
Photo by Johan Fiona Whyte for the TCB Group.

Rated: ★★★

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When, Where, Getting there:
  • May 25 - Jun 9, 2021
  • May 25 - 31 & June 6 - 9: 7:30 pm
  • May 26, 29, 30, 31, June 6 & 9: 2:30 pm
  • The London Palladium
  • Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
  • https://herecometheboysshow.com

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