Anton Du Beke to star in NT tour of Ballet Shoes
The National Theatre’s acclaimed production of classic children's novel Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfeild, begins a major tour of the UK in August next year, including a festive season at Lowry, Salford from December 8, 2027 to January 2, 2028.
Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke will make his debut in a National Theatre production, playing Great Uncle Matthew and Fidolia.
Other northern dates so far announced are Sunderland Empire (November 30-December 4, 2027) and Liverpool Empire (January 11-15, 2028). The production played to sold-out houses in London in 2024 and last year.
In a crumbling house full of dinosaur bones and fossils, three adopted sisters – Pauline, Petrova and Posy – are learning who they are and discovering who they want to be. Under the watchful eyes and guidance of their new guardians and some unlikely lodgers, they fight to pursue their individual passions. But in a world that wasn’t built for women with big ambitions, can they forge a future, keep their family together, and even learn a dance or two along the way?
Anton Du Beke said: "I took my family to see the show at the National Theatre and I completely fell in love with it. It was such a beautiful, joyful production, and when I was given the chance to be part of it, I jumped at it. I couldn’t wait to step into that world and be a part of the magic. It gives me an exciting opportunity to test myself further as an actor - and dance and family are at the core, the two most important things to me."
Director Katy Rudd, who recently directed the acclaimed production of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and will be directing Emma Thompson’s new musical adaptation of Nanny McPhee in the West End, added: "After two successful runs at the National Theatre, I'm excited to share Ballet Shoes with an even bigger audience on its first UK tour. Ballet Shoes is a much-loved story by Noel Streatfeild, about three young, orphaned girls who, despite the odds, learn to pursue their individual passions, build their futures and do it for themselves - a revolutionary idea in the 1930s - when the book first appeared - and still very potent today."
Note: Anton Du Beke will star at the Lowry from December 8-December 12, plus December 27 to January 2. Further casting is still to be announced.
More info and tickets here
