They’re going to see the real Craig says Craig Revel Horwood ahead of Lancashire show

Craig Revel Horwood may be best known by members of the public for his 20-year-long stint a judge on the BBC show Striclty Come Dancing but he has many more feathers in his bow.

After starting as a dancer, the now 60-year-old star worked on the nation’s biggest musicals and became a choreographer, director, and best-selling author.

Craig is also a remarkable singer, and to celebrate the release of his debut solo album, Revelations, he’ll reveal his own, hidden talent during a Fab-U-Lous night of big songs, tall tales, and glamour.

Craig Revel Horwood: Revelations – Songs Boys Don’t Sing started touring at the start of the month and it heads to the Blackpool Grand Theatre on Sunday, May 4 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are still available and start from £39.50 with VIP goodie bags and Meet and Greet tickets also available.

Before his arrival in Blackpool, take a look at what Craig had to say about his show below...

How would you descibe the show?

Craig answered: “This show is unlike anything I’ve ever done. People aren’t going to see ‘The Judge, Craig’. They’re going to see the real Craig. It’s about my life, it’s who I am. It’s the most personal tour I’ve ever done.

“It’s about my life before I became a judge, and then my life after being a judge, because that, of course, is the only thing that I’m famous for.”

What inspired you to release your debut album now?

Craig said: “I thought: ‘Come on, you’re 60. Do it.’ My mum’s always told me to get an album together, and do something. So I thought: ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’ I grew up in the era before things were recorded – so there are no recordings of my earlier performances in theatre. No one had mobile phones and all of that malarkey back then. Now everything is recorded, no matter what you do, I walk out the hotel room, and it’s recorded by someone.”

Reflecting on the album, which granted Craig his first chart hit, the TV star added: “Singing is such a liberating experience. Each song on the album means something to me.

“You know, the first ever musical that my mum went to see with the kids was Jesus Christ Superstar, so I’ve recorded I Don’t Know How To Love Him.

“Waltzing Matilda is in there because I was born in Australia and when we grew up it was like a national anthem.”

How did you find recording the album?

Craig replied: “Recording taught me so many things. It taught me how to be quiet, it taught me uh how to add more emotion into the sound of my voice as well. It’s not that I wanted to sound like Barbra Streisand, or Shirley Bassey, you know, but I had to discover who I was. You know, who is Craig Revel Horwood and what is his sound and what is his voice?

“I think a lot of artists come across that. Human League has a certain sound. You know, Rod Stewart had the raspy sound. But I thought, what is Craig Revel Horwood’;s sound? We had to figure that out. I think you can break more of the rules. Singing is about having an amazing vocal quality, rather than a pitch-perfect voice. I mean, Dame Judy Dench once came on stage and she sang Send in the Clowns. No, she’s not a singer. She’s never been able to sing. But because of her commitment to the character, to the emotion, it came across brilliantly. That was one of the best renditions of Send in the Clowns I’ve ever heard.”

What sort of stories and songs can audiences expect on the night?

Craig said: “I want to talk about the songs that I love and the reasons they are still with me and in my life. I know I’ve written three autobiographies, but my autobiographies were always about how I got Strictly. This show, for me, is strictly about music and my passion and love for it.

“That’s what drives my life and it’s just so nice to be able to get up there and sing and entertain people really because that’s what I was born to do.

“I wanted to do Memory, from Cats, because I was in that show, but I’d never get to sing that song because I’d obviously never get the part of Grizabella. It’s the same with I Don’t Know How To Love Him, from Oliver! It just goes without saying, you know, that I’ll never play Nancy.

“So the record, and the tour, gives me an opportunity to sing songs that I know and love. The show will be about my love for the music and how it’s affected my life. It’ll be about relationships, too, because we all go through the same emotions in relationships.

“I’ll be talking about that, and heartbreak, and where it can lead. You know, Adele has proved proved how much emotion heartbreak can evoke, not just for singers, but for the audience, too.”

Will the show pay any particular nods to anyone?

Yes, Craig confirmed he would be peforming “My Way” in a nod to his late father.

He explained: “That was my father’s favourite song and I had to sing it when he died, just before Christmas, 10 years ago. And I’ve been singing that sort of ever since in pantomime, but it always reminds me, you know, of my father, because that was one of his favorite tunes.

“So there’s a lot of emotion behind each one of the songs that I sing, which I think is good, you know, and there’s a lot of fun in there as well, because, of course, I have nothing really to do withDisney, The Lion King.”

There will also be other tributes during the show, including to The Vivienne and Paul O’Grady, artists Craig knew and admired, whilst there will be plenty of nods to Strictly too.

Craig said: “It’s been Fab-U-Lous to have been there since the start. None of us could ever have believed it would become the phenomenon that it did. It’s been a huge part of my life and the reason that people know me. So yes, of course, I’ll be talking about Strictly – I don’t think people would forgive me if I didn’t.”

You’ll be joined on stage by musician and friend Ben Goddard, how are you feeling about that?

Craig replied: “The tour will be the opportunity to have a good time along with Ben, who I love. I’ve worked with him quite a lot, either directing with him or we did a one-man show together, which was hilarious.”

Finally, how are you feeling to be hitting the road at last with the show?

Craig said: “The reason I love touring is that it takes me to the people and I get to see the country. It’s aboutthat as much as meeting people and learning because, you know, in in certain areas, you’ll get different audiences.

“Every city and town has a wonderful theatre and we’ll be visiting those gems and thinking, you know, wow. I’m going to 53 theatres around the country in three months, you know, it’s pretty full on. But it’s great, it’s fantastic, and there’s some places I’ve been before that I can’t wait to return to, and those places I’ve never been. It’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to it.”

To book tickets, please call the Grand Theatre Box Office on 01253 290190 or visit www.BlackpoolGrand.co.uk where you can also find full listings and further information.