Strictly judge Anton Du Beke brings his singing and dancing tour to the West Midlands and Shropshire
Anton Du Beke has teamed up with Olivier-winning choreographer Bill Deamer for his new UK tour which he says will be his “best yet”.
Showman – An Evening With Anton Du Beke will see the Strictly Come Dancing judge dance a variety of styles including ballroom, tap and the Argentine tango.
It will be at Lichfield’s Garrick Theatre on April 29, with a return visit on October 21, and Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn on April 30
Kicking off next month, the 57-year-old will also be joined by singer Lance Ellington, a live band and a company of dancers at the string of shows.
Du Beke said: “I am always excited to be going out on the road, but this tour is the best yet.
“It has everything I love: songs, dance, chat and laughter - it’s my idea of a perfect evening.”
The professional dancer described the show as a “complete extravaganza of song, dance and laughter” and teased that it will be a “fusion of every type of dance you can think of”.
He added: “I can’t wait for audiences to see the whole show, but I’m particularly excited about the spectacular tap medley we have included.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and so to have it choreographed by the legendary Bill Deamer and to be performing it with my amazing company of dancers is just wonderful.
“And of course, the audience are also going to be able to ask me questions again during the Q&A segment - so fire away, my loves! This is your chance to ask me anything you’d like.”
Du Beke and Deamer first met more more than 15 years ago when they both worked on a show at the London Palladium and then later came together again on Strictly.
However, this will mark the first time the pair have worked together on one of Du Beke’s tours.
“When he asked me this year, I said: ‘Let’s do it, but if we’re going to do it, we’re going to do musical theatre’,” Deamer recalled.
“The discipline that ballroom and Latin dancers have is really the same discipline as musical theatre dancers and when you put the two together... That’s when the magic happens.”
The tour kicks off in Dartford on Sunday March 3 and will travel throughout the UK, visiting areas including Bournemouth, Chester, Halifax, Nottingham, Reading, Swansea and Wimbledon.
Du Beke was the longest-serving professional dancer on Strictly, having been a fixture on the BBC One series since it began in 2004, until he swapped the dancefloor for the judging panel to take over from departing judge Bruno Tonioli permanently in 2021.
Tickets for Showman - An Evening with Anton Du Beke can be booked at his website antontour.com
