Strictly's Nadiya and Kai open their Once Upon a Time tour at Portsmouth Guildhall | Review

The professionals, now a couple off-screen, promise to share their ‘journey through the world of dance, and our new journey together, as well’. Boy, do they deliver!

The staging features four large projection screens, on which videos of a young Kai and Nadiya, are shown as they introduce one another to the crowd – a nice touch. In certain numbers, the video displays are used effectively, such as Dancing Man, which sees five Kais strutting their stuff in sync.

The strapping, suave and sophisticated Kai is not only a fabulous dancer, he comes across as a real showman too, entirely comfortable with a mic in his hand. The audience lap up his Strictly jokes and impersonations of the judges.

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It’s easy to see why Nadiya is a five-time world champion. The Ukrainian beauty is simply mesmerising when she takes to the stage. The couple’s height makes them a dominating presence, it’s very difficult to take your eyes off them – though credit must also be given to their fantastic team of six back-up dancers who shone throughout.

The music choices are spot on. The show is jam-packed full of clever medleys and mash-ups, the vast majority being particularly famous tracks. Elvis, Lady Gaga, the White Stripes, Eurythmics, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and many more, it is meticulously planned and very effective. Many songs are performed by singer Tomas Wolstenholme, who has incredible vocals. His rendition of Britney Spears’ Toxic is fantastic.

The headliners’ undeniable chemistry sizzles throughout; this is never clearer than in the several slow dances they perform on their own. However, for me, the fast paced songs are the best – J-Lo’s Let’s Get Loud is a real foot-stomper, as was Jump Jive an’ Wail.

As the show concludes, Nadiya and Kai thank their family members, many of whom are in the audience, with a touching tribute, dancing to Because You Loved Me. The crowd are on their feet at the end and throughout the dazzling encore.

This is the first night of the tour, but I can assure fans across the country, that you are in for a treat. A real delight. Nadiya and Kai? Keep dancing!