REVIEW: Iain Waite & Natalie Lowe: A Touch of Class – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Following the familiar format of a bit of dance, a bit of song, a bit of chat, and some audience participation, Strictly Come Dancing alumni Iain Waite and Natalie Lowe sashay into town with their first live show A Touch of Class.
The personable pair glide through a selection of classic ballroom dances, an audience Q & A and some backstage chat about their colleagues on Strictly. The two are gifted dancers and their grace and elegance is a joy to watch, making these undoubtedly difficult routines look effortless.
Waite is a natural showman (as evidenced by his appearances on Strictly It Takes Two) and hogs the mic, relishing the backstage gossip and saucy quips. Lowe is softer than her on-screen persona, an advocate for traditional ballroom, she comes across as genuinely thankful for the opportunities that dance has given her.
The action is punctuated by swing classics from Luke Upton – an intense young man with a fine voice but a rather inflated stage presence and a gimlet stare. Local choir Voice of the Town tackle some pop standards throughout the night to allow for costume changes, but one can’t help get the feeling from the audience reaction that they would rather have had some more dance.
There are no zippy Latin routines here, just good old-fashioned traditional ballroom at his best – as the title suggests – a class act. A bit more dance would have been nice, though.