Strictly Come Dancing stars Karen Hauer and Gorka Márquez have teased a return to "the old days" in their new joint project.
The professional dancers have joined forces for a new live tour titled Speakeasy coming to UK theatres in 2025.
In an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, the Strictly stars shared what audiences can expect from the show, promising "glamour" and a touch of "nostalgia".
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"It's very underground, very mysterious," Karen tells us. "You enter the secret world of where all of these dances were pretty much born from, in the 1920s and the 30s. And we're taking the audience on a journey through all these eras."
"It's also very Fred [Astaire] and Ginger [Rogers] as well," she continues, promising "Bonnie and Clyde kind of feels" too.
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"There's a lot of West End shows now like the new Cabaret and Moulin Rouge, and all of them are very based in [Bob] Fosse and that jazz musical theatre style," adds Gorka.
"I think there is nothing in that style of Speakeasy, like underground clubs, with Ballroom and Latin. So it's is a great opportunity to bring another perspective."
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"I think now with theatre and shows and even music – and it's happening with fashion too – we are going back to those old days, and bringing it back," he continued.
"Like now people are dressing up like in the '80s and the '70s. So I think it's good to bring it back."
Karen believes the show will transport audiences away from reality, adding: "You get to kind of disconnect from real life in a way, you go into this underworld of mystery. It's very nostalgic."
The Speakeasy tour kicks off in Dartford on February 24, 2025, with the duo performing in venues in Blackpool, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff and many more.
For the first time ever, Karen and Gorka will also be bringing their tour to a West End theatre for one night, with details of this event to be shared at a later date. The two previously toured together with Firedance in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
Tickets for Speakeasy can be bought via SEE Tickets.
Strictly Come Dancing will return later this year on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Emily is an experienced freelance entertainment writer and editor, reporting on all things TV, film, soaps and showbiz. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, with a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex, Emily is a former Deputy News Editor and Evening News Editor at Digital Spy. She has previously worked at Hello magazine, BBC South News and GoodtoKnow.
A small and big-screen obsessive – with subscriptions to every TV and film service under the sun – Emily knows her movie stars from soap stars, and is always clued up on the latest reality show dumping, just-dropped trailer or off-screen spat. She's interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, with highlights including The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett and GMB's Kate Garraway (who "loved" her trousers).
Emily counts Sharon Horgan and Julia Davis as her TV heroes, and is a loyal Wes Anderson fan. LinkedIn
