Northern lass Lisa goes Strictly Confidential

Strictly Confidential - The Lowry, Salford
Strictly Confidential stars. left to right, Natalie Lowe, Artem Chigvintsev,  Lisa Riley and Ian WaiteStrictly Confidential stars. left to right, Natalie Lowe, Artem Chigvintsev,  Lisa Riley and Ian Waite
Strictly Confidential stars. left to right, Natalie Lowe, Artem Chigvintsev, Lisa Riley and Ian Waite

The latest Strictly spin-off is actually about as Confidential as transatlantic e-mails.

Director Craig Revel Horwood – the strictest judge – shrewdly grabbed the right star to make his show and Lisa Riley is perfect.

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Playing to a home crowd she treats as friends not fans, she tends to rush the narrative, but should soon relax into more spontaneity.

With dancers Ian Waite, Natalie Lowe and Artem Chigvintsev, they’re all encouraged to reveal more of their personal ‘journeys’.

With film clips and other interludes which suggest a work in progress, the dance routines still speak loudest. The audience can appreciate the emotions the dancers invest in their artistry.

It’s deeply poignant when Riley recounts the loss of her mother from cancer last year, particularly with her father in the first-night audience, with an empty seat at his side. With Strictly, it’s not just the dancing that can be moving.

by David Upton

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