A FIRE in the Derby Assembly Rooms car park on Friday led to the Ballroom To Broadway costumes and orchestral instruments being impounded until the next morning, too late for their transfer to York Barbican in time for the Saturday matinee.

Those ticket holders who could transfer to the evening performance did so, thanks to the sterling work of the Barbican staff, and suave host Anton du Beke was at his most charming when he explained the unusual circumstances that had led to the cancellation.

Having missed out on Derby and York performances, du Beke’s company had itchy feet for Saturday night’s nostalgic celebration of favourite hoofing moments from movies and musicals.

To do so, Strictly Ballroom stalwart du Beke, special guest West End star Summer Strallen and an accompanying troupe of six dancers shared a stage with the full forces of the Manchester Concert Orchestra under conductor Richard Balcombe. No scenery meant there was more room than there might otherwise have been, but the space was nevertheless compact, demanding absolute precision in each number.

The equally fluid, smooth and elegant singing of Lance Ellington added to the joy of a show that delighted and dazzled in such routines as Get Happy, Steam Heat and Let’s Face The Music And Dance.

Summer Strallen, taking the place of the pregnant Erin Boag, brought her fabulous singing pizzazz to such numbers as All That Jazz, and Faye Huddleston’s ballroom dancing with du Beke made for a winning combination too.