Interview: Craig Revel Horwood

Fab-u-lous dahling

Craig Revel Horwood talks to Andrew Kay about his career, his new show Strictly Confidential with Lisa Riley, & his role in the international hit that is Strictly Come Dancing

How do you find time to do interviews – do you sleep?
“Yes, but only about five or six hours a night. I don’t seem to need more.”

You’re known for Strictly Come Dancing but you have had the most incredible career. The TV role paints a fun, bitchy and frivolous portrait of you but your career has been very serious…
“Yes it is, people don’t realise I do anything but Strictly, but now they get to know I am a director and choreographer and that Strictly is a sort of Saturday job running up to Christmas. I like it in a way that I am sort of anonymous in the directing and choreography world and was faceless until the TV, which took over.”

But the success of Strictly has allowed choreographers to become recognised…
“I totally agree, and going to 45 countries worldwide and being in the Guinness Book of World Records is pretty frightening too. It’s hard to believe we are in our tenth year. It has certainly given choreographers a voice and brought dance to the foreground and inspired a host of other TV dance shows. There’s a place for dance in everybody’s lives. You can do it for fun but even our worst celebrities come away with something.”

The celebrities are chosen, I guess, so some will be able to do it and some are there for pure entertainment value?
“If it were a professional dance competition it would be vastly different – but it’s not. It’s the pros who have had their competition career and now teach the celebrities to dance.”

So that has also created a career for the pros beyond competition?
“That’s what great about it. For pros to teach they have to win titles. Strictly has given them a life beyond teaching and possibly a celebrity life. Anton du Beke went on to become a TV presenter, Ian Waite now presents. With the advent of Strictly Confidential, the new live stage show I have created, that could go on yearly for the pro dancer and for a celebrity. It’s a way for them to show off their dancing skills and other things as they will be talking about their lives and behind the scenes on the show.”

How were you initially approached to do Strictly?
“I was directing a show in the West End and the producers were looking for directors and choreographers to be judges. My initial interview was over the telephone and they said ‘before we have you in just give us your thoughts on how you would react in certain situations’. They devised some over the phone and I reacted. Then they asked me in for a screen test and, like anyone, I auditioned. I didn’t know exactly what for either as they only had a concept and not the entire show format or whether it would take off. I went into the BBC, they miked me up and pointed a camera in my face and asked me to watch a monitor with Brendan Cole and Natasha Kaplinsky dancing and asked me to sum it up in three words. So I said ‘yes darling: dull, dull, dull!’ – and it went from there.”

“I said ‘Yes darling: dull, dull, dull!’ – and it went from there”

Can you see yourself doing Strictly for years to come?
“Yes, I enjoy it and it’s a fantastic Saturday job that lets me continue with my other career. This year I have Strictly Confidential, then I’m doing The Witches Of Eastwick at The Watermill Theatre where I did Sunset Boulevard. It’s a real challenge and I cant wait to get to rehearsals. Then directly after that I am doing a similar thing with Fiddler On The Roof starring Paul Michael Glaser who was Starsky in Starsky And Hutch, and oddly he played Perchick in the regional movie and is now playing the lead role Tevye. He is really looking forward to that because he is an actor with musical experience. Then Strictly starts again and we’re on the road to Christmas and I do panto, this year in Southend on Sea, reprising my role as the Wicked Queen. Then I will be devising the new Strictly Arena show. The great thing about Strictly Confidential is that it can go to places the big arena show cannot go. In this show you learn about Lisa Riley and Ian, and Artem and Natalie. It’s sort of autobiographical, things that happen to them and things you can’t say on the TV show. It appeals to all ages, with extra numbers and dance styles.”

Do you ever get frustrated that people have taken a long time to take your work seriously ?
“Yes, it took five years before people warmed to me, to know what I am really like when put on the spot and out of my comfort zone. I also did Celebrity MasterChef in 2007 and was runner up. That was good because people saw me panic, sweat and shake like a leaf – not the cool, calm and collected person they see on Strictly.

Which is the real Craig?
[Laughs] “Well, I have done so much now people can make their own mind up. It’s been a fascinating ride for the last ten years. I think a few producers got nervous about asking me to do things because I might be difficult and opinionated, but in fact, I am the reverse.”

You’re telling me you’re easy?
“No, I’m not easy, I know where to compromise, particularly with producers and money, it’s all relative, particularly now with people being nervous about investing in things. I want to keep theatre going and people coming to the theatre. I can use Strictly to get people who would not necessarily go to the theatre into theatres. It’s a win win situation. The TV has also helped with my charity work. I love doing the arty farty stuff but equally the commercial stuff and one helps keep the other alive. I love panto because it introduces children to live theatre.”

Strictly Confidential, The Brighton Centre
Wednesday 3 July
Box office 0844 847 1515
www.brightoncentre.co.uk