Strictly dancer Brendan Cole is bringing new stage show to Glasgow

BRENDAN COLE’S new stage show is called All Night Long.

With more than 20 numbers, that’s a pretty accurate title and it all adds up to a strenuous few months for the dance star.

“It’s a long tour, but it’s nothing compared to the length of Strictly!” laughs New Zealand-born Brendan, 40.

“It’s pretty full-on, but you get on the road and we have an absolute ball together, it’s the best thing I do.

“A tour like this is the most physically-demanding thing dancers do because it’s a two-hour show, so it’s exceptionally physical in terms of what we have to go through on a nightly basis.

“The first week is hardest because you’re not used to it, and the last week is hard because you’ve been doing it for so long!

“It does actually get easier as your stamina builds over the tour. It’s extremely demanding on the body, but it’s just what we’re used to.

“You know what you’re in for and the adrenaline carries you through.

“When you’re doing that last number of a two-hour show and it’s a jive, you’ve got to make it as good and as full-on as the first — you can’t leave the audience going: ‘Oh, that last dance was a bit flat, they looked a bit tired!’

“Every performance has to be incredible, and every dance within every show has to be as good as the last and the first.”

No wonder the celebrities on Strictly always talk about the physical demands, and say they lose weight and tone up as the show progresses.

“Yeah, absolutely, and that’s one of the big things about touring,” admits Brendan. “You have a demanding regime of physical exertion and you do slim down and your muscles get toned.

“It’s a great thing as a dancer, but when it stops I have no idea what I’m going to do to keep it up!”

Brendan’s tour is a big operation with guest dancers, a 14-piece band plus singers as well as the crew, under his supervision.

“I just wish the people in the audience knew how much goes into the planning of a show like this, it’s like Strictly — the operation behind that is massive,” says the man whose daughter Aurelia will celebrate her fourth birthday on Christmas Day.

“There’s a huge team trying to put the show on, but on your own tour, you end up putting in that work to make sure it is what you want it to be.

“This is very much me. Creatively, even down to the logistics side of things, my finger is on every little aspect of the tour which means I’m a very busy boy.

“In the show, we chop and change between the various styles — Latin, ballroom, speciality dances like the Argentine tango or the salsa, just to make sure it’s never dull.

“There has to be something for everyone. Strictly has a massively-diverse audience, from children right up through the ages. To please everybody is a tall order.

“Some like the old-school classics, some want to see something new, so getting the right balance is very important.

“You’ve got to have the mix and the change or people won’t enjoy it as much. You’ve got to be creative, everything can’t be the same, you need different colours and looks for different dancers.”

Since Brendan’s been on Strictly since Day One, surely he can explain just what makes it such a huge audience favourite?

“There’s a magic about it. I think it’s that all ages can watch it, you can have the whole family sitting there watching the same show, excited about what’s coming next,” he says.

“It’s proper, old-fashioned entertainment on a Saturday night and that’s important.”

Brendan Cole: All Night Long is at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow on January 29 and tours until April. For information visit www.atgtickets.com and www.brendancole.com

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