Joanne Clifton and Ben Adams to star in UK tour of Flashdance

Strictly Come Dancing champion Joanne Clifton has taken her passion and made it happen by landing the lead role in the upcoming UK tour of Flashdance!

Article Source: ATG Tickets
Last Updated: 23 June 2017 9:49

Playing Alex Owens, Joanne will be joined by a1’s Ben Adams who takes on the role of Nick Hurley.

Flashdance the Musical will premiere at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow on Saturday 5 August and run until Saturday 12 August 2017 before taking off on an extensive UK tour.

Tickets are on sale now

Joanne is no stranger to being at the top. She is a world and European Champion ballroom dancer as well as one few professional dancers to have won both the main Strictly glitter ball with Ore Oduba last year and the show’s Christmas Special in 2015 with Harry Judd.

Joanne made her musical theatre debut in the role of Streetwalker in the UK premiere of the Irving Berlin musical Face The Music, for which she was nominated for an Off West End Award. She followed this up with a turn as Marilyn Monroe in the Norma Jeane Musical before taking on the role of Millie Dillmount in the No. 1 UK Tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she garnered rave reviews.
Joanne is excited to take on her latest starring role as Alex Owens in the UK Tour of Flashdance.

She said: “This is just another dream come true. I think everyone in the world whether dancer or non-dancer, as soon as they hear What a Feeling, remember that iconic scene at the end of the film and I'm so incredibly lucky that I get to do that every night in a UK tour along with fabulous numbers like She's a Maniac.

“I'm over the moon. It's another amazing opportunity in my musical theatre career and I can once again sing and act alongside dancing. I just hope the water's not too cold when it falls on me.”

Ben Adams who will join Joanne on stage as Nick Hurley his best known for lead singer of boy band a1.

Ben has been singing and performing since the age of 8. His career started as head chorister at St. Margaret's, Westminster Abbey, singing at royal weddings, touring all over Europe, recording 2 classical albums and frequently singing for the likes of the queen and the pope. At 16, he became the lead singer of the a1. The group racked up 10 million record sales, two UK number ones, five studio albums, toured the world and won a Brit.

When the band split, Ben took to the studio and is now a successful song writer and producer working with the likes of Robin Thicke, Craig David, JLS, Ward Thomas, Sam Bailey, Boyzone and Alexandra Burke. He also reached the final of Celebrity Big Brother, the Norwegian version of Strictly Come Dancing, and Master Chef in Denmark. As well as writing for other artists, he went straight to number 1 in the itunes charts with his classical album titled One Beautiful Mourning. His first solo album 1981 will be launched early 2018.

In 2010, a1 reformed and having successfully completed stadium tours in Asia and 68 sold out arena concerts across Europe, they starred in The Big Reunion on ITV2 and played arenas across the country.  They continue to tour throughout the world.

Ben has also written a brand-new musical called 'EUGENIUS!' Which after a sold-out London Palladium performance, is set to hit the West End stage next year.

Ben said: “It's amazing to be part of such an iconic story, and as an 80s child I was brought up on this music so I couldn’t be happier playing Nick in the theatre production of Flashdance. Whilst I continue with my own music career and touring with a1, musical theatre has always been a real passion of mine, so to be asked to play this role, and to be working with such an amazing cast and crew is a real honour. I look forward to seeing you all out on the road in the coming months.”

Additional cast includes Colin, Kiyani, Rikki Chamberlain, Garry Lee Netley, Carol Ball, Sia Dauda, Hillie Ann Lowe, Simeon Beckett, Rhodri Watkins, Demmileigh Foster, Emily Kenwright, Ameila Rose Fielding, Alex Christian, and Matt Concannon.

Flashdance - The Musical tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of 18-year-old Alex, a welder by day and ‘flashdancer’ by night, who dreams of going to the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy and becoming a professional dancer. When a romance complicates her ambitions, she harnesses it to drive her dream.
Prepare to be blown away with an astonishing musical spectacle and phenomenal choreography to this iconic score, including the smash hits Maniac, Manhunt, Gloria, I Love Rock & Roll and the award-winning title track Flashdance - What a Feeling.

Based on the Paramount Pictures film (Screenplay by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas, story by Tom Hedley) Flashdance is an inspiring musical about the power of holding onto your dreams and love against all odds. Flashdance proved a hit with audiences, and remained in the Top 10 Box Office in the States for 15 weeks after release. The original score also proved hugely popular, with the soundtrack album selling 700,000 copies within two weeks of release. The platinum selling hit title track Flashdance – What A Feeling won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in 1983, with the soundtrack winning the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special in 1984.

Presented by Selladoor Productions - producers of Footloose, Avenue Q and Little Shop of Horrors and Runaway Entertainment producers of In The Heights, Guys and Dolls and Lazarus, Flashdance - The Musical is not to be missed!

Tickets are on sale now