REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
‘HERE COME THE BOYS’
Wednesday 22nd June 2022
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
‘HERE COME THE BOYS’
Wednesday 22nd June 2022
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
Watch out ladies!! The Strictly Boys are on the road again for their second nationwide tour, following a season at the London Palladium last May/June, 2021. They had the honour of being the first show to re-open that famous venue after the pandemic. Audiences were socially distanced and nervous, but they received nightly standing ovations.
This year, there are no such restrictions and Here Come The Boys arrived in Southend on Wednesday, for two performances at our very own Cliffs Pavilion, with a new company, raring to go.
The premise of the evening is a series of gladiatorial dance battles, when our Strictly Superstars go head-to-head to be crowned King of Jive, Salsa and Ballroom, each showing their skills with their equally dazzling female partners . After each battle the boys are sent upstairs on the high level set, to await the audience vote on the “Bridge Of Doom" whilst compere Karim Zeroual encourages us to cheer loudly for our favourite in each section. It doesn’t take much to guess the winners. It is pretty obvious, as the show is very much designed to showcase the specialities of our four pro men.
It is all however, enormous fun, and the banter between Karim, and the boys is very funny and entertaining. The joy of seeing our Strictly favourites live in person, is to witness just how talented they all are. On the BBC show, we see them dance one solo, and a couple of group numbers per show. Here Come The Boys is a non - stop, full on dance spectacular, which barely stops for breath. I’m sure the moments of chat are a welcome break from the dazzling routines which come thick and fast. The stamina of these dancers is astonishing. How do they do it? Lightning costume changes add to the magic . There is always something colourful to watch.
This year, Graziano, Pasha, Nikita, and 2019 finalist Karim head the line up, and they are almost upstaged by the Amazonian, breathtaking Nadiya Bychkova. As well as co-hosting with Karim, she dances up as storm, and whilst the boys all seem to sweat profusely, Nadiya is the epitome of cool. She is utterly mesmerising and makes everyone she partners look even better!
I really enjoyed the introductions to each dance section, when Karim invited Nadiya to share her expert thoughts on what she expects to see from each dance style, so that we can watch with a little more understanding.
Karim also contributes mightily to the heart of the evening, taking part in many dance routines, showcasing his talent in Street Dance most effectively.
Between the dance battles there are some epic dance routines, featuring the Boys, Nadiya, Karim, plus the five girls and two boys of the supporting company.
One of the most spectacular routines, starring Nadia, is called Percussive Energy. Watch out for a topless Graziano and Nikkita providing some intensive drumming at the back. The boys all go topless at some point during the show, and shirts are never buttoned up. I don’t think the boys are shy in baring their ripped torsos to enhance the artistic merit of the show. Full marks to Karim for joining in here in the face of fairly intense competition !
It is clear to see, by the end of the evening how much each of the Strictly professionals mean to their fans. The waves of love from the audience to the stage is moving to witness. By the end of the evening, following a very moving encore dedicated to the people of the Ukraine , the entire crowd were on their feet cheering, clapping and dancing.
In the troubled times we are living in, Here Come The Boys is just the tonic we all need. They should be available on prescription!
Highly Recommended. A great night out for Strictly fans.
Review: Andrew Walters
This year, there are no such restrictions and Here Come The Boys arrived in Southend on Wednesday, for two performances at our very own Cliffs Pavilion, with a new company, raring to go.
The premise of the evening is a series of gladiatorial dance battles, when our Strictly Superstars go head-to-head to be crowned King of Jive, Salsa and Ballroom, each showing their skills with their equally dazzling female partners . After each battle the boys are sent upstairs on the high level set, to await the audience vote on the “Bridge Of Doom" whilst compere Karim Zeroual encourages us to cheer loudly for our favourite in each section. It doesn’t take much to guess the winners. It is pretty obvious, as the show is very much designed to showcase the specialities of our four pro men.
It is all however, enormous fun, and the banter between Karim, and the boys is very funny and entertaining. The joy of seeing our Strictly favourites live in person, is to witness just how talented they all are. On the BBC show, we see them dance one solo, and a couple of group numbers per show. Here Come The Boys is a non - stop, full on dance spectacular, which barely stops for breath. I’m sure the moments of chat are a welcome break from the dazzling routines which come thick and fast. The stamina of these dancers is astonishing. How do they do it? Lightning costume changes add to the magic . There is always something colourful to watch.
This year, Graziano, Pasha, Nikita, and 2019 finalist Karim head the line up, and they are almost upstaged by the Amazonian, breathtaking Nadiya Bychkova. As well as co-hosting with Karim, she dances up as storm, and whilst the boys all seem to sweat profusely, Nadiya is the epitome of cool. She is utterly mesmerising and makes everyone she partners look even better!
I really enjoyed the introductions to each dance section, when Karim invited Nadiya to share her expert thoughts on what she expects to see from each dance style, so that we can watch with a little more understanding.
Karim also contributes mightily to the heart of the evening, taking part in many dance routines, showcasing his talent in Street Dance most effectively.
Between the dance battles there are some epic dance routines, featuring the Boys, Nadiya, Karim, plus the five girls and two boys of the supporting company.
One of the most spectacular routines, starring Nadia, is called Percussive Energy. Watch out for a topless Graziano and Nikkita providing some intensive drumming at the back. The boys all go topless at some point during the show, and shirts are never buttoned up. I don’t think the boys are shy in baring their ripped torsos to enhance the artistic merit of the show. Full marks to Karim for joining in here in the face of fairly intense competition !
It is clear to see, by the end of the evening how much each of the Strictly professionals mean to their fans. The waves of love from the audience to the stage is moving to witness. By the end of the evening, following a very moving encore dedicated to the people of the Ukraine , the entire crowd were on their feet cheering, clapping and dancing.
In the troubled times we are living in, Here Come The Boys is just the tonic we all need. They should be available on prescription!
Highly Recommended. A great night out for Strictly fans.
Review: Andrew Walters
UK tour interview with Graziano Di Prima, Nadiya Bychkova, Nikita Kuzmin, Pasha Kovalev and Karim Zeroual
If Graziano Di Prima had any doubts as to the regard in which he’s held as a dancer, the schedule for the upcoming nationwide tour of Here Come The Boys should have given his confidence a further boost.
On July 9, Graziano, aka the Italian Stallion, will marry his long-time girlfriend and fellow dancer, Giada Lini, 31, in his native Sicily. The couple got engaged in 2019 when he proposed to her on May 7, his 26th birthday, on stage in Watford – much to the delight of the cheering audience – during the tour of dance show, Burn the Floor.
They twice had to postpone the wedding but now they will wed plum in the middle of the Here Come The Boys tour. So how many performances will he be missing? “None,” he says, “they arranged the tour around the wedding.”
What’s more, Giada will also be dancing on the 30-date tour. It begins at the Portsmouth Guildhall on June 15 and finally comes to rest at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal on July 24 with a performance at London’s Eventim Apollo on July 4.
Graziano, 28, first joined Strictly in 2018 when he partnered TV and radio presenter Vick Hope. “It completely changed my life. I come from a small town in Sicily where my parents work in the vineyards. When I first started dancing, my dad said he thought there was something wrong with me.
“Then, when the invitation came to join Strictly, I practically fell off my chair. My parents flew to the UK to watch me dance. The camera found my dad in the audience and tears were streaming down his face. Now he understood what dancing meant to me.”
Here Come The Boys, in exactly the same way as it was at the Palladium last year, will be presented by Karim Zeroual, 28, who was a runner-up on Strictly with pro dancer Amy Dowden in 2019.
On July 9, Graziano, aka the Italian Stallion, will marry his long-time girlfriend and fellow dancer, Giada Lini, 31, in his native Sicily. The couple got engaged in 2019 when he proposed to her on May 7, his 26th birthday, on stage in Watford – much to the delight of the cheering audience – during the tour of dance show, Burn the Floor.
They twice had to postpone the wedding but now they will wed plum in the middle of the Here Come The Boys tour. So how many performances will he be missing? “None,” he says, “they arranged the tour around the wedding.”
What’s more, Giada will also be dancing on the 30-date tour. It begins at the Portsmouth Guildhall on June 15 and finally comes to rest at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal on July 24 with a performance at London’s Eventim Apollo on July 4.
Graziano, 28, first joined Strictly in 2018 when he partnered TV and radio presenter Vick Hope. “It completely changed my life. I come from a small town in Sicily where my parents work in the vineyards. When I first started dancing, my dad said he thought there was something wrong with me.
“Then, when the invitation came to join Strictly, I practically fell off my chair. My parents flew to the UK to watch me dance. The camera found my dad in the audience and tears were streaming down his face. Now he understood what dancing meant to me.”
Here Come The Boys, in exactly the same way as it was at the Palladium last year, will be presented by Karim Zeroual, 28, who was a runner-up on Strictly with pro dancer Amy Dowden in 2019.
Photo credit: The TCB Group
Best known as a CBBC presenter, he appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Palladium where he made his West End debut aged six. “So I can’t describe,” he says, “how happy I was to be back in that beautiful theatre. I never dreamt that I’d get the chance to perform there again. It was honestly one of the best experiences of my life.”
Now he’ll get to tour with the show, something last time round denied by the pandemic. “What I love about Here Come The Boys is that it encompasses every form of dancing: ballroom, jive, street dance, contemporary, Latin, you name it. There’s something for everyone.
“It’s such a high-energy show, one big party featuring so much talent and a brilliant choreographer in Gareth Walker. And I have the honour of hosting the show which means I get to speak to the audience and get them involved.”
It’s second time round, too, for Strictly veteran, Pasha Kovalev. “What I particularly like about this show is that every performance is slightly different. It feels like you’re creating something new each time. We take our lead from the audience and that makes it a lot of fun. There’s a sort of ping-pong between the stage and the auditorium. It’s one of the reasons I like touring so much.”
But it means, of course, that his two small daughters – Maven is two, Noa just eight months – will be left at home with his Countdown maths whizz wife, Rachel Riley.
“That’s right: the downside is that they can’t come on tour with me. I absolutely love dancing but it’s tough leaving the family at home especially after all those months of the pandemic when I was with them all the time. But they’ll be in the best hands and my mum, Galina, is staying so she helps out.”
In the Covid-hit months, he got together with Anya Garnis, his long-time Latvian professional dance partner since they both moved to America in 2001 and then on to the UK. “We raised money for fellow artists hit hard by the effects of the pandemic by performing an online charity event on World Theatre Day back in March.”
He’s 42 now. What about keeping fit? “I’m not a great one for the gym; I prefer to work out at home and do a bit of yoga. But, because I danced in Here Come the Boys before, I can rely to some extent on muscle memory. My body knows what to do.”
And when the tour is over? “Plenty of sunshine, please, and warm sea somewhere. Not sure which country yet but a holiday with the family is my goal.”
Nikita Kuzman, 24, makes no bones about it. “Joining Strictly last year,” he says, “changed everything. I was born in Ukraine and lived and danced in three other countries – Italy, Denmark and Germany – before coming to the UK.
“But it was Strictly that made me feel 100 per cent me. I’ve never been as creatively challenged as I was on that first series – and I couldn’t have been luckier in having Tilly Ramsay as my first partner. It felt like a match made in heaven. We then were part of the live tour which was a huge thrill.”
Now, he’s the newbie in the line-up for Here Come The Boys and he couldn’t be happier. Because they went to the same dancing school in Italy, he already knew Graziano and Nadiya before he joined Strictly. Now, he’s getting to know Pasha and Karim. “What is so impressive about the line-up is the diversity everyone brings to the show.”
And, finally, here comes the girl… This is Nadiya Bychkova’s second shot at Here Come The Boys and she’s delighted. “It was an amazing experience,” she says, “and it was lovely to be part of the first show opening up The Palladium again following the pandemic. The first night was very emotional. Now, I can’t wait to repeat the experience plus, this time, we get to go on tour.”
Will her boyfriend and fellow Strictly professional, Kai Widdrington, come to some of the shows? “Oh, I’m sure he will,” she says. “We support each other.” As to whether she and Kai will put together a show of their own and take it on the road, Nadiya remains tight-lipped.
In the meantime, she’s been very busy on the Strictly Live tour and the recently completed the Pro tour. “All of that requires a lot of careful planning so I can get to see my daughter, Mila, who’s six in June, as much as I can. But much nicer to be too busy than not busy enough. And I’ll be back on Strictly this autumn so I’ve barely got a day off for the rest of this year.”
She’s not complaining. “I love to work hard and I love to dance. So I consider myself very lucky.” And no, she’s not remotely fazed, she says, about being the only leading female in the line-up for Here Come The Boys.
“The trick is to make it look as though the men are in charge. But then,” she adds, eyes sparkling “isn’t that what women have been doing for men since the beginning of time?”
* Tour details: www.herecometheboysshow.com
Now he’ll get to tour with the show, something last time round denied by the pandemic. “What I love about Here Come The Boys is that it encompasses every form of dancing: ballroom, jive, street dance, contemporary, Latin, you name it. There’s something for everyone.
“It’s such a high-energy show, one big party featuring so much talent and a brilliant choreographer in Gareth Walker. And I have the honour of hosting the show which means I get to speak to the audience and get them involved.”
It’s second time round, too, for Strictly veteran, Pasha Kovalev. “What I particularly like about this show is that every performance is slightly different. It feels like you’re creating something new each time. We take our lead from the audience and that makes it a lot of fun. There’s a sort of ping-pong between the stage and the auditorium. It’s one of the reasons I like touring so much.”
But it means, of course, that his two small daughters – Maven is two, Noa just eight months – will be left at home with his Countdown maths whizz wife, Rachel Riley.
“That’s right: the downside is that they can’t come on tour with me. I absolutely love dancing but it’s tough leaving the family at home especially after all those months of the pandemic when I was with them all the time. But they’ll be in the best hands and my mum, Galina, is staying so she helps out.”
In the Covid-hit months, he got together with Anya Garnis, his long-time Latvian professional dance partner since they both moved to America in 2001 and then on to the UK. “We raised money for fellow artists hit hard by the effects of the pandemic by performing an online charity event on World Theatre Day back in March.”
He’s 42 now. What about keeping fit? “I’m not a great one for the gym; I prefer to work out at home and do a bit of yoga. But, because I danced in Here Come the Boys before, I can rely to some extent on muscle memory. My body knows what to do.”
And when the tour is over? “Plenty of sunshine, please, and warm sea somewhere. Not sure which country yet but a holiday with the family is my goal.”
Nikita Kuzman, 24, makes no bones about it. “Joining Strictly last year,” he says, “changed everything. I was born in Ukraine and lived and danced in three other countries – Italy, Denmark and Germany – before coming to the UK.
“But it was Strictly that made me feel 100 per cent me. I’ve never been as creatively challenged as I was on that first series – and I couldn’t have been luckier in having Tilly Ramsay as my first partner. It felt like a match made in heaven. We then were part of the live tour which was a huge thrill.”
Now, he’s the newbie in the line-up for Here Come The Boys and he couldn’t be happier. Because they went to the same dancing school in Italy, he already knew Graziano and Nadiya before he joined Strictly. Now, he’s getting to know Pasha and Karim. “What is so impressive about the line-up is the diversity everyone brings to the show.”
And, finally, here comes the girl… This is Nadiya Bychkova’s second shot at Here Come The Boys and she’s delighted. “It was an amazing experience,” she says, “and it was lovely to be part of the first show opening up The Palladium again following the pandemic. The first night was very emotional. Now, I can’t wait to repeat the experience plus, this time, we get to go on tour.”
Will her boyfriend and fellow Strictly professional, Kai Widdrington, come to some of the shows? “Oh, I’m sure he will,” she says. “We support each other.” As to whether she and Kai will put together a show of their own and take it on the road, Nadiya remains tight-lipped.
In the meantime, she’s been very busy on the Strictly Live tour and the recently completed the Pro tour. “All of that requires a lot of careful planning so I can get to see my daughter, Mila, who’s six in June, as much as I can. But much nicer to be too busy than not busy enough. And I’ll be back on Strictly this autumn so I’ve barely got a day off for the rest of this year.”
She’s not complaining. “I love to work hard and I love to dance. So I consider myself very lucky.” And no, she’s not remotely fazed, she says, about being the only leading female in the line-up for Here Come The Boys.
“The trick is to make it look as though the men are in charge. But then,” she adds, eyes sparkling “isn’t that what women have been doing for men since the beginning of time?”
* Tour details: www.herecometheboysshow.com
Photo credit: The TCB Group
The TCB Group and concert promoters TEG MJR are proud to announce that Strictly Come Dancing stars Graziano Di Prima, Nadiya Bychkova, Nikita Kuzmin, Pasha Kovalev and Strictly finalist Karim Zeroual will embark for a 30-date UK tour of the critically acclaimed West End smash hit show Here Come The Boys throughout June and July 2022
Graziano, Nadiya, Nikita, Pasha, and Karim will be joined by a spectacular cast of dancers, all backed by a huge LED screen and a lavish production.
The 2022 tour will take place between 15th June and 24th July, including a performance at London’s Eventim Apollo on 4th July.
Additional matinée performances will take place at The Octagon Theatre in Yeovil (16th June), The Wyvern Theatre in Swindon (21st June), Cliffs Pavilion in Southend (22nd June), The Forum in Billingham (25th June), The Theatre Royal in Norwich (17th July), Symphony Hall in Birmingham (23rd July) and The Theatre Royal in Newcastle (24th July).
Here Come The Boys was a complete sell-out when it first toured the UK during the summer of 2019, making it one of the most successful dance shows of that year!
Inevitably, the UK tour for ‘Here Come The Boys’ in both 2020 and 2021 had to be postponed because of the pandemic, but as part of the West End’s return to live theatre Here Come The Boys returned to the stage in May 2021 to enjoy a prestigious and highly acclaimed ten-day residency at The London Palladium.
Now, after three long years, we are delighted to announce a stellar cast for the 2022 tour of Here Come The Boys!
Sicilian-born Graziano Di Prima joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 and has since partnered Vick Hope and, most recently, Judi Love. Before Strictly, Graziano made his name as a dancer when he became an Italian Latin Champion and represented Belgium at the World Championships.
Graziano made his Here Come The Boys debut during the show’s run at the London Palladium in 2021. He said, “The reaction we received during the Here Come The Boys residency in London’s West End last summer was very special. We are so excited to be able to finally bring this very special show to theatres across the rest of the UK and can’t wait to see everybody on tour.”
Keeping the boys in check on tour will be Ukrainian-Slovenian dance star Nadiya Bychkova, a two-time World Champion and European Champion in Ballroom and Latin ‘10’ Dance. Having made her Strictly Come Dancing debut in 2017, Nadiya’s Strictly partners have included David James, Lee Ryan, Davood Ghadami and Dan Walker.
Nadiya said, “I’m so happy that we can finally tour the UK with Here Come The Boys. It’s been a long time coming, but me and the boys are going to give audiences a night to remember that will make it worth the wait.”
Nikita Kuzmin makes his Here Come The Boys debut fresh from his highly successful first series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he partnered Tilly Ramsay.
Before finding fame in the UK with Strictly, Ukrainian-born Nikita and his family moved to Italy when he was nine years-old, where he eventually became a six-time Italian Champion in Latin and Ballroom before joining the German version of Strictly as a professional dancer.
On joining the cast of Here Come The Boys, Nikita said, “I had heard all about this show from some of my fellow Strictly professionals and I cannot wait to be part of it. From what I’ve heard, the energy and excitement created on stage is electric, and I cannot wait to visit different parts of the UK with such an impressive production.”
As a Strictly professional dancer, Pasha Kovalev’s record of 13 perfect scores remains a Strictly record. He was also the second dancer to reach the finals three times with partners Chelsee Healey, Kimberley Walsh and Caroline Flack.
Looking ahead to the tour, Pasha said, “Here Come The Boys’ amazing residency at The London Palladium last year gave us a taste of what’s to come this summer for the UK tour. I’m so happy to be performing again with my friends from the Strictly family at so many incredible theatres across the UK. It’s going to be a blast!”
Completing the cast is TV presenter and actor Karim Zeroual, who wowed audiences across the UK when he danced all the way to the Strictly Come Dancing final in 2019 with his pro dance partner Amy Dowden – scoring the first perfect score of the series along the way with their incredible Jive.
Karim joined the cast of Here Come The Boys in 2021 for the show’s West End run, reminding everyone in the process what an incredible dancer he is.
Karim said, “I’m so excited to be back with the boys, and Nadiya of course, on tour. After seeing the amazing reactions from the audience when we performed in the West End at the Palladium I just can’t wait to bring that impact and energy to crowds all over the UK. Dancing has had a massive impact on my life. If it wasn’t for Strictly I wouldn’t have opportunities like this. To tour an incredible dance show with unbelievably talented people is a dream come true!”
From the producers of the smash hit dance shows Rip it Up and the “Remembering” series of shows starring Aljaž Škorjanec & Janette Manrara, Here Come The Boys is directed and choreographed by Gareth Walker.
The 2022 UK tour dates confirmed so far for Here Come The Boys is as follows (*indicates an additional matinee performance):
Wed 15th June PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL
Thu 16th June YEOVIL OCTAGON*
Fri 17th June BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION
Sun 19th June DARTFORD ORCHARD
Tue 21st June SWINDON WYVERN THEATRE *
Wed 22nd June SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION*
Thu 23rd June BRADFORD ST GEORGE'S HALL
Fri 24th June EDINBURGH USHER HALL
Sat 25th June BILLINGHAM FORUM*
Sun 26th June GLASGOW ROTAL CONCERT HALL
Mon 27th June ABERDEEN MUSIC HALL
Wed 29th June HULL BONUS ARENA
Thu 30th June CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE
Fri 1st July NORTHAMPTON DERNGATE THEATRE
Sat 2nd July YORK BARBICAN
Sun 3rd July LEICESTER DE MONFORT HALL
Mon 4th July LONDON EVENTIM APOLLO
Tue 5th July CARDIFF ST DAVID'S HALL
Wed 6th July MANCHESTER BRIDGEWATER HALL
Mon 11th July BASINGSTOKE THE ANVIL
Tue 12th July WOKING NEW VICTORIA THEATRE
Wed 13th July PLYMOUTH PAVILIONS
Thu 14th July BATH FORUM
Fri 15th July NOTTINGHAM ROYAL CONCERT HALL
Sun 17th July NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL*
Mon 18th July PETERBOROUGH NEW THEATRE
Tues 20th July IPSWICH REGENT THEATRE
Fri 22nd July CARLISLE SANDS CENTRE
Sat 23rd July BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY HALL*
Sun 24th July NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL*
Tickets are on sale now, available from all venues, ticketmaster.co.uk and www.herecometheboysshow.com
Watch out UK, Here Come The Boys!
www.herecometheboysshow.com | @HeresTheBoys | facebook.com/HereComeTheBoys/
Graziano, Nadiya, Nikita, Pasha, and Karim will be joined by a spectacular cast of dancers, all backed by a huge LED screen and a lavish production.
The 2022 tour will take place between 15th June and 24th July, including a performance at London’s Eventim Apollo on 4th July.
Additional matinée performances will take place at The Octagon Theatre in Yeovil (16th June), The Wyvern Theatre in Swindon (21st June), Cliffs Pavilion in Southend (22nd June), The Forum in Billingham (25th June), The Theatre Royal in Norwich (17th July), Symphony Hall in Birmingham (23rd July) and The Theatre Royal in Newcastle (24th July).
Here Come The Boys was a complete sell-out when it first toured the UK during the summer of 2019, making it one of the most successful dance shows of that year!
Inevitably, the UK tour for ‘Here Come The Boys’ in both 2020 and 2021 had to be postponed because of the pandemic, but as part of the West End’s return to live theatre Here Come The Boys returned to the stage in May 2021 to enjoy a prestigious and highly acclaimed ten-day residency at The London Palladium.
Now, after three long years, we are delighted to announce a stellar cast for the 2022 tour of Here Come The Boys!
Sicilian-born Graziano Di Prima joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 and has since partnered Vick Hope and, most recently, Judi Love. Before Strictly, Graziano made his name as a dancer when he became an Italian Latin Champion and represented Belgium at the World Championships.
Graziano made his Here Come The Boys debut during the show’s run at the London Palladium in 2021. He said, “The reaction we received during the Here Come The Boys residency in London’s West End last summer was very special. We are so excited to be able to finally bring this very special show to theatres across the rest of the UK and can’t wait to see everybody on tour.”
Keeping the boys in check on tour will be Ukrainian-Slovenian dance star Nadiya Bychkova, a two-time World Champion and European Champion in Ballroom and Latin ‘10’ Dance. Having made her Strictly Come Dancing debut in 2017, Nadiya’s Strictly partners have included David James, Lee Ryan, Davood Ghadami and Dan Walker.
Nadiya said, “I’m so happy that we can finally tour the UK with Here Come The Boys. It’s been a long time coming, but me and the boys are going to give audiences a night to remember that will make it worth the wait.”
Nikita Kuzmin makes his Here Come The Boys debut fresh from his highly successful first series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he partnered Tilly Ramsay.
Before finding fame in the UK with Strictly, Ukrainian-born Nikita and his family moved to Italy when he was nine years-old, where he eventually became a six-time Italian Champion in Latin and Ballroom before joining the German version of Strictly as a professional dancer.
On joining the cast of Here Come The Boys, Nikita said, “I had heard all about this show from some of my fellow Strictly professionals and I cannot wait to be part of it. From what I’ve heard, the energy and excitement created on stage is electric, and I cannot wait to visit different parts of the UK with such an impressive production.”
As a Strictly professional dancer, Pasha Kovalev’s record of 13 perfect scores remains a Strictly record. He was also the second dancer to reach the finals three times with partners Chelsee Healey, Kimberley Walsh and Caroline Flack.
Looking ahead to the tour, Pasha said, “Here Come The Boys’ amazing residency at The London Palladium last year gave us a taste of what’s to come this summer for the UK tour. I’m so happy to be performing again with my friends from the Strictly family at so many incredible theatres across the UK. It’s going to be a blast!”
Completing the cast is TV presenter and actor Karim Zeroual, who wowed audiences across the UK when he danced all the way to the Strictly Come Dancing final in 2019 with his pro dance partner Amy Dowden – scoring the first perfect score of the series along the way with their incredible Jive.
Karim joined the cast of Here Come The Boys in 2021 for the show’s West End run, reminding everyone in the process what an incredible dancer he is.
Karim said, “I’m so excited to be back with the boys, and Nadiya of course, on tour. After seeing the amazing reactions from the audience when we performed in the West End at the Palladium I just can’t wait to bring that impact and energy to crowds all over the UK. Dancing has had a massive impact on my life. If it wasn’t for Strictly I wouldn’t have opportunities like this. To tour an incredible dance show with unbelievably talented people is a dream come true!”
From the producers of the smash hit dance shows Rip it Up and the “Remembering” series of shows starring Aljaž Škorjanec & Janette Manrara, Here Come The Boys is directed and choreographed by Gareth Walker.
The 2022 UK tour dates confirmed so far for Here Come The Boys is as follows (*indicates an additional matinee performance):
Wed 15th June PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL
Thu 16th June YEOVIL OCTAGON*
Fri 17th June BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION
Sun 19th June DARTFORD ORCHARD
Tue 21st June SWINDON WYVERN THEATRE *
Wed 22nd June SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION*
Thu 23rd June BRADFORD ST GEORGE'S HALL
Fri 24th June EDINBURGH USHER HALL
Sat 25th June BILLINGHAM FORUM*
Sun 26th June GLASGOW ROTAL CONCERT HALL
Mon 27th June ABERDEEN MUSIC HALL
Wed 29th June HULL BONUS ARENA
Thu 30th June CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE
Fri 1st July NORTHAMPTON DERNGATE THEATRE
Sat 2nd July YORK BARBICAN
Sun 3rd July LEICESTER DE MONFORT HALL
Mon 4th July LONDON EVENTIM APOLLO
Tue 5th July CARDIFF ST DAVID'S HALL
Wed 6th July MANCHESTER BRIDGEWATER HALL
Mon 11th July BASINGSTOKE THE ANVIL
Tue 12th July WOKING NEW VICTORIA THEATRE
Wed 13th July PLYMOUTH PAVILIONS
Thu 14th July BATH FORUM
Fri 15th July NOTTINGHAM ROYAL CONCERT HALL
Sun 17th July NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL*
Mon 18th July PETERBOROUGH NEW THEATRE
Tues 20th July IPSWICH REGENT THEATRE
Fri 22nd July CARLISLE SANDS CENTRE
Sat 23rd July BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY HALL*
Sun 24th July NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL*
Tickets are on sale now, available from all venues, ticketmaster.co.uk and www.herecometheboysshow.com
Watch out UK, Here Come The Boys!
www.herecometheboysshow.com | @HeresTheBoys | facebook.com/HereComeTheBoys/