Tristan recently returned to Australia after several weeks performing in Ballroom With A Twist 10th Anniversary Tour and Dance To the Movies while also juggling his production responsibilities with Mrs. Brown's Boys.  He took some time out of his very hectic schedule to answer your questions.

First of all, congratulations on having a very successful tour with Kristina and Mark. It’s wonderful that so many of your supporters were able to see you perform on stage again and that you had the opportunity to put on the dancing shoes for a few weeks.

Now on to Mrs. Brown’s Boys. After a break of a few months, you’re back and performing close to home.  How has this latest leg of the tour been going?

It has been great. We are in the midst of the final weekend which is immense in the 3Arena Dublin, and I’m loving it again. Finishing a tour in Dublin is amazing and especially in a venue so large and well-known at home is great. Last weekend was Belfast which may as well been the Siberia. It was that cold, but what a beautiful place.  We were lucky enough that a few of us got to go into see the set of Game of Thrones and sit in the thrones and hold the swords. It was great craic!! The tour has been great but at the same time come Monday I’m flying home and can’t wait to get back to the girls. They came over for a month to break up this trip, but three months away from home has been a lot.
 
I would imagine that in a show like this hilarity reigns supreme and no two shows are the same, but are there any especially funny moments that stand out or something that makes you always expect the unexpected?

The show is great. I never get bored of it.  We have had a cast re-giggle for a few shows now for different reasons so new faces always freshen the show up as well as all the gag changes! Agnes is going all out being in our home city, so you don’t know what to expect show to show. I’m still a Mormon and still trying my best to not crack when the script gets thrown out the window—haha. I love the Mormon scene. It’s still my favourite, but I love Conor Maloney who plays Father Quinn on this leg.  He is hilarious so I watch his scenes every night.

You mentioned that you are now involved in the production side of the shows, so what do you do in that regard both prior to the shows and during them? Do you still have an acting role?

We have a lot going on at the moment in production, so it has been quite full on recently.  Before the show, we set up the guest lists and seating plans along with helping the load ins which is essentially setting up the stage and helping with wardrobe departments, catering rooms, merchandise stands, production offices and anything else too. During the show, we set up for the following day and at the same time we are preparing visas, flights, hotels, and travel packs for the upcoming Australian/ New Zealand tour coming up in January. We also have an upcoming series of the tv show being made soon enough, so we are literally out the door and working long, long hours but I am learning a new skill and absolutely loving it. I’m still acting (if that’s what you can call it)—hahaha.

What are some of the challenges of doing a show like Mrs. Brown’s Boys? (either from a personal standpoint or just from observing the complexity of putting on a show like this)

The show is a complete beast and for sure it has a lot of challenges, but there is a great team in place. I would always imagine that going into anything that is so well-oiled and very much untouched for years and years that it would be hard to integrate into that. But they all made me feel so welcome so the difficulty is really just in learning how to do a particular job but more importantly how they do a particular job.  It’s a process but one I’m loving! I just like learning, to be honest, so it’s all great for me. I’m learning a lot of roles at the same time so I couldn’t tell you the responsibilities of one particular role! The same as anything when you are trying to do something you never had before the hardest part is not losing confidence when you make mistakes. I used to find that difficult and would beat myself up for not knowing what I was doing and feeling insecure about it but I’m a lot more comfortable now with the fact that I shouldn’t know this because I’ve never had to know it and I’m learning as I go.

Mrs. Brown’s Boys starts up with a new show in Australia and New Zealand early in 2018.  Will you be involved then as well? Have you done any rehearsals or preparations for that show.

Yeah, we have a new show in Australia/New Zealand about to start mid-January— 'For the Love Of Mrs. Brown'—that we are in the process of setting up but we won’t have rehearsals for that until the cast land in Oz. I haven’t actually seen that show yet or read the script but I’m making up the packs for the cast now with audio so I will know it pretty well pretty soon! I will be working in production on the show, but I won’t be acting in it this time—then again I may streak the stage for the craic!! The tour is a little shorter this time round—six weeks in Oz and two in New Zealand.

Is there a typical show day for Mrs. Brown’s Boys?

Not really.  Like most shows, the general idea is once there are no hiccups your days are pretty set once the show is up and running, but again it all works show to show! The tv show is a different animal all together, but we will worry about that once this tour is shut. 

And now for a few nosy questions...

If you could choose any place in the world other than Ireland or Australia to live, where would it be?
I’ve been lucky to live in a lot of great places. I miss Boston a lot. To be fair, it’s Baltic, but I could live there. There are still a lot of places I’d love to go but you have to make the best of wherever you are and right now I wouldn’t change a thing about where we live.

Last movie you saw
Mudbound

Last show or play you saw
I just went to see Columbia Mills in Dublin last month. That was a great night, but before that I think it may have been U2 in London. I have a big Wiggles show coming up with the girls when I get back to Sydney next week which should be loads of fun. You find yourself walking around singing the tunes to yourself.

Latest Echo milestone
Every day is a milestone to be fair she is great craic. She has the tune of ABC now. She is always singing but she doesn’t know all the letters just yet but she dances all the time and she sings a lot. She will be 2 before we know it. She is the best though—always laughing, always smiling and wants to do everything herself with no help and always has so much to get done that she doesn’t have time for us!!!

Are Tahyna and Echo able to travel with you these days? I know it’s a little more challenging when the baby becomes a toddler and is into everything.
They don’t get to travel all the time with me, so we break the trips up. I wouldn’t have been away for such a long stint, but we had the Christmas specials, then two legs of MBB tour and in between that was my dance tour with Kris, so it turned into a really long trip. They came out to Ireland for a month in between and we traveled the country. I can’t wait to get home to them now and have the month off, so it will be pure family time.

A couple of years ago, we asked you about Saturday Night Live as well as skits with Jimmy Fallon, Jonah Hill etc. We’ve been laughing lots lately on the website forum about James Corden and his Carpool Karaoke, Crosswalk the Musical, and just about anything else he does. Have you seen any of his nonsense? Otherwise, who is your favorite comic actor/host these days?
Yeah, I’ve seen some of it. I think it’s fun but not really my cup of tea. I still love Fallon. I think he is the best at what he does for those skits. Tom [Bergeron] is still the best 'host'. He is an all rounder now where he is so natural and like a classic host should be. You get the feeling with a lot of presenters now that anyone can do it, but there is a big, big difference in my eyes between a host and a presenter and Tom in my eyes is the best. I may be biased because I have seen Tom up close and firsthand but he is #1.

Do you have any plans to get back to the states? (That’s a question we get asked often)
I’ll be taking a trip back in March, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been in America so they may not let me back in!! There were a few times I was close to going back to the show, but for different reasons things didn’t work out but I’m happy with the direction my family is going in now so if we end up going back at some stage it would be great to catch up with our friends there.
​

  An Evening with Kristina and Tristan, hosted by Mark Read
The Mill Theatre, Dundrum, Dublin - 14th November 2017

We had great seats in the centre of the 3rd row. The theatre is very small and intimate, seating about 200. The setting felt even more intimate when the curtain went up to reveal Mark  no stage just a floor, so close to everyone, the front row could have touched them as they danced past. All very up close and personal.

Throughout the show Mark would start a song and Kristina and Tristan would come on stage about half way through the song.  This enabled them to do their costume changes, as apart from about 3 numbers where Mark sang with no dancing, we were able to enjoy lots of dancing by Kristina and Tristan.

I can't remember the exact order of how things went or which songs—I should have made notes ha-ha!! The first dance was a Quickstep to "I've got Rhythm", what an opening number! Then Tristan changed out of his tails and came on stage and sat and had a chat with Mark (to get his breath back he said!) They chatted about Tristan returning to Ireland and how he was loving dancing in his home country and finally in his home town—Bray is just down the road. He admitted he was a bad Irishman in that he hadn't really ever left Bray and hadn't seen much of Ireland before, and was enjoying driving around with his family seeing the sights and pretending he knew everything when in fact he was just reading the signs. They also covered what Tristan had been doing since leaving Strictly and that he was continuing with Mrs. Brown's Boys after the tour ended. Oh, and Tristan's Auntie was sitting in the front row, and she had a little dance with Mark during one of his songs.

So, as Tristan was now in a vest we had a fast number, Salsa or Samba—can't remember if this was before or after the chat, but after he joked about dripping sweat on the front row as they were so close. They also danced a beautiful Rumba to "Imagine" and a brilliant Charleston.

Mark introduced Kristina, again talking about what she has been up to since Strictly, her little girl, Mila, and her new tour starting in the new year. She also said that she is so happy that she managed to persuade Tristan to take to the dance floor again with her after 2 years, and it took ALOT of persuading. Thank you Kristina!!

There is an audience participation part—4 volunteers from the audience go on stage and the rest of the audience also get to learn all the arm and hand moves to the dance. This was funny when Tristan got embarrassed about having to put the microphone in his pocket to free up his arms to demonstrate some moves —'I'm not putting that in my pocket in front of Auntie', so he moved to other side of the stage to demonstrate along with the 'hip rotation' which caused lots of oohs and ahhs. They divided the audience in half, Kristina V Tristan, and Tristan's side won.

There was a delightful dance by 6 local children from Xquisite Dance School.  The youngest pair were 8, another couple 10/11 and the 3rd couple I guess around 16. This girl's Mum used to go to dance lessons with Tristan's Mum which is how they knew him—definitely stars of the future.

As I mentioned earlier, I can't remember the order or what songs were used for all the dances, but they did everything! Apart from the dances I have already mentioned, we had Waltz, Foxtrot and Cha Cha—but the Contemporary dance they did to "Wicked Game" was incredible as was the Argentine Tango/Paso fusion. The finale was the Jive to "Don't Stop Me Now", and the sparkly shirt made an appearance to loud cheers, another incredible dance.

There was a Q and A, and here are some of the things that were said.  If I misquote anything, my apologies, this is all from memory!

Tristan has hardly danced for 2 years and now only wants to do it on his terms.

There was a comment about his shoes, from which he said they were I think 15 years old, and proceeded to show the holes in them, but that doesn't matter he said, 'It lets the smell out!' Re Strictly, he didn't like being told to get a fake tan and shave his chest, which he refused to do, or wearing sparkly shirts. "That's why I left."  He joked about Anton being the hairiest person ever, and they would both hide to avoid the shaving!  H

He doesn't watch Strictly at all, but did talk about DWTS Ireland, what a great show it is and everyone should watch it and get behind it as they have fabulous pro dancers. Kristina also mentioned the new signing Robert Rowinski, who she has danced with in her previous show, an amazing dancer.

During the Q and A, Tristan excused himself and disappeared off stage, returning shortly after to explain that his knee cap had popped out and he had gone to sort it out!! Amazingly he then managed to dance that incredible Jive!!

There were obviously questions about the current series of Strictly— one being Len V's Shirley. Kristina talked about how she loved Len and always respected his comments when she was on the show. She liked the way he always added a touch of humour to his critique without being nasty and there was always something positive. She could see why the public were saying what they were about Shirley, but she knows her stuff and will probably grow into the role like Darcy who also had a difficult 1st series. As for Bruno, she doesn't know what he's on!! She said she wished the judges would be less negative and give the celebs something positive to work on instead of demoralising them. As a pro she would go into the training room on a Monday morning and often her celeb would just want to walk out as they felt so bad after Saturday's comments. Tristan said on Len V's Shirley, he would always take a positive comment from Shirley over one from Len.......

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was an brilliant and enjoyable show. The way Mark linked it all together with his chat and singing— excellent vocals btw—and his version of "Take on Me" was fab.  As I have said, so much dancing from Kristina and Tristan, quick costume changes, such a great partnership and of course the humour...

I am so grateful to Kristina for convincing Tristan to get back on the dance floor and tour! Even though I had to travel to Dublin to see them as there was nothing local to where I live, it was worth it. I really hope that Kristina and Tristan can do another show/tour, maybe covering the areas of the UK they missed this time. The ticket sales speak for themselves, I believe nearly all venues were sold out. 

Thanks to Nadia for this recap of An Evening With Kristina Rihanoff and Tristan MacManus in Ilkley.

Hi guys,

I just wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity of watching Tristan and Kristina dance. This was an unusual venue for a dance show. It’s quite an old fashioned hall and the seats weren’t the most comfortable but for a sleepy Yorkshire small town on a Monday evening the show was well attended. The singer/ compere Mark Read introduced Tristan and asked him a few questions about life after ‘Strictly’. Tristan is clearly very happy doing less dancing and being involved with a comedy show featuring one of his ex—Strictly partners, Jennifer Gilbey—‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’. He said he enjoyed being behind the camera, in production. He said dance will always play a large part in his life as that is how he met his wife Tahyna with whom he now has a beautiful daughter, Echo.

He’s clearly a little in awe of Kristina, telling the audience what a wonderful dancer she was and he was quite humble about his own dancing skills, e.g. in the Argentine Tango. But they danced beautifully together and I loved that Argentine Tango and their Charleston and Tristan really came alive with the jive at the end. All Kristina’s costumes were absolutely gorgeous, she suits every colour! Tristan’s clothing was quite casual at times but it didn’t detract from the show.

In the question and answer session he was asked about his time on DWTS and Strictly and said very clearly he wouldn’t do that type of show again. He was very careful not to offend anyone in the audience who still takes the shows at face value and understood why people watched the show and said it was great Saturday night entertainment, but it just wasn’t for him.

I really enjoyed the show and would happily see it again. Both of them came across as happy, contented people who just wanted to entertain their audience. Just lovely.

Lynda‏ @elmjay75 
Really enjoyed watching @TristanMacManus & @KRihanoff tonight - the Paso mash up was particularly amazing & @MarkReadMusic did a great job

Catherine M‏ @Ms_Catherine92 
Omg @TristanMacManus and @KRihanoff you were incredible tonight!! Such genuinely lovely and amazingly talented people #firstclass #Belfast #KristinaandTristan

Ashleigh‏ @ashdoole 
Can't get over what a fab night it was seeing @TristanMacManus, @KRihanoff and @MarkReadMusic at theatre at the mill. So lovely and down to earth as well, well worth seeing it!!

aimée‏ @H34RTR0CK 
had a fab night watching these guys!! thank you @TristanMacManus @KRihanoff for amazing dances and @MarkReadMusic for amazing vocals!!

Amy Johnston‏ @AmyJ__x 
Fantastic night at #MossleyMill with @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus ! Loved every minute. Please come back soon #myfavourites

Michelle miles card‏ @michellecard232 
Totally loving @TristanMacManus @KRihanoff and @MarkReadMusic in Belfast tonight. Yes we are the noisy 2nd row.

Joanne Hasson‏ @JoHass_ Really enjoyed @KRihanoff and @TristanMacManus show in Derry. So talented all 3, and lovely people. Thanks for answering my question:)

John Davis‏ @JohnsTraining @TristanMacManus Great night in Dundalk, you are great dancer and a really nice person, thank you
​
Not sweet Caroline‏ @cmcc09 
Such a pleasure to watch and meet the nicest people @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus thanks for a great night #Dundalk
Kevin Dougall‏ @Glasgowkev79  
More@TristanMacManus one happy girl on Saturday night! Still buzzing!So lucky to have danced on stage with you!! Brilliant show! Thanks again

Amy  ❤"Me Girl"  🙈 🙊‏ @XxAmyxPopxX  
Thank you so much @KRihanoff & @TristanMacManus for last night. The show was amazing & you were so lovely to meet #strictly #thankyou

Caroline ♥ ♥ ♥Overtones‏ @TWglasgowgal  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus great to meet u both loved both shows #Livingston #Hamilton

Kathleen Hunter‏ @kahunter80  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus Thanks for the photo and chat last night. Was well worth the 2hr drive to see the show again after Arbroath

Sarah Strictly‏ @SarahStrictly  
Replying to @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus and 2 othersThank you both for such an amazing show. Brilliant xx

Vonnie Sandlan‏ @VonnSand  
Replying to @VonnSand @KRihanoff @TristanMacManusThanks so much for giving our kids the opportunity to perform with you tonight. They LOVED the show.

Rachel‏ @wolf179 
Fantastic dancing and music tonight Kristina,Tristan & Mark. Thank you for a great night! @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic @KRihanoff

Jillian Lang‏ @JillianLang7  
@TristanMacManus fabulous show tonight, loved every minute of it. Wish I'd been brave enough to come onto the stage!

Claire‏ @Claire21Stewart  
What a fab show! @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic Lucy, her big sister and I had a lovely night

Theresa Cowley‏ @TheresaCowley1  
Replying to @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus and 2 othersThis show is magical and even better when Tristan does his Irish Dancing

Jenny O'Donnell‏ @jennyodonnell87  
@MarkReadMusic @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus Thanks for a great night! Mark, we'll need to work on our salsa, get it right next time!

Elaine Simpson‏ @Laneylou55  
Thanks for a fantastic show @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic we had a ball and enjoyed meeting you all

Ashley  ❤ ❤‏ @ashleycranston1  
Brilliant show last night @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic !Even my partner who orginally didnt want to come enjoyed it

sarah west‏ @SarahMMWest  
An amazing show by amazing people. @TristanMacManus this moment meant so much to me. Thank you for being just brilliant. I didn't think I'd ever get to see you dance again. It was so special. Much love. Xxx p.s cheers for the twirl.

Sharon Taylor‏ @Sharontaylor68  
Fantastic night watching @KRihanoff and @TristanMacManus in Livingston what amazing dancers

Sandra - Onlinevents‏ @Onlinevents_saz  Oct 25
Great night in Livingston @MarkReadMusic What a great singer and loved the dancing @TristanMacManus and @KRihanoff brilliant night

Mary Whitworth‏ @MareMEW  
@TristanMacManus saw your show in Braintree on Friday it was brilliant xxx

MissStephanie‏ @1MissStephanie  
Had such a good time at @KRihanoff and @TristanMacManus show tonight. If you haven't seen it, you're missing a real treat! #sogood

MissStephanie‏ @1MissStephanie  
@STheatreCo I beg you to bring @TristanMacManus back for another tour. The guy is not only a beautiful dancer, but comedy gold too!#fabnight

Emma-Jane Wilkinson‏ @EmmaJaneLee1  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic thank you so much for an amazing show it's the best strictly pro show I have been to by far..!!

Claire.T‏ @ClaireBear1603  
Was an amazing night @TheMaltings seeing @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic Thank you so much for the photos and selfies!

Kiri Baker‏ @KiriB287  
Amazing show @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic totally loved it

Theresa Cowley‏ @TheresaCowley1 
So loved this show @KRihanoff @MarkReadMusic @TristanMacManus best night ever meeting you all

Ben Gartland‏ @BenGartland75  
Evening with @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic in Ilkley. Excellent show, well done! Dancing to Mark's singing was a bonus.

Janet Mawer‏ @Mawer1  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic Fabulous show tonight. Lovely to meet you all. Make sure you visit Bettys next time! x

Steven Pollard‏ @stevestar0  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic Absolutely awesome show tonight, really enjoyed it & great to meet you :-)

Kay Leahy‏ @Kay_Neptune  
@TristanMacManus @KRihanoff @MarkReadMusic Fabulous show, very enjoyable evening

Charlotte‏ @Charlie_121  
@MarkReadMusic @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus What a phenomenal show!! So glad I got the chance to see it Friday, loved every second x

Natalie‏ @Niamhs_mama  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus Loved your show so much we've booked to come and see it again in Ireland #FatherChristmasCameEarly

Julie Bathie‏ @strictlyjulieb  
@KRihanoff@TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic thank you so much ,fabulous show of great music & fabulous dancing & lovely to meet you all

Jenny Fowler‏ @bti_jenny 
Replying to @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus@MarkReadMusic Go & see this show! I highly recommend it! The dancing and singing & Mark Read hosting it in a wonderful way worked perfectly

Andy‏ @chachadilton  Oct 21
Fantastic @KRihanoff and @TristanMacManus show.

Karen Potter‏ @karenpatricep  
Replying to @StrictlyPros @KRihanoff and 3 othersReally enjoyed the show in Brum, Kristina was gorgeous, Marks vocals amazing and I'd forgotten how cute Tristan is

Gemma Crysell‏ @GCrysell  
Great show last night in Braintree, real pleasure to meet @TristanMacManus @KRihanoff @MarkReadMusic Good luck with the rest of your tour

SCD Professionals‏ @StrictlyPros  
Top Man! @TristanMacManus

Charlotte‏ @Charlie_121  
@MarkReadMusic @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus thanks for a brilliant evening of dance, singing & entertainment...you were all outstanding x

SCD Professionals‏ @StrictlyPros  
An Evening With @KRihanoff & @TristanMacManus, with @MarkReadMusic is truly fantastic! Amazing singing & dancing from beginning to end!

♡ αмч ♡‏ @itsAmyyy_xo  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic the show tonight was amazing! I didn’t want it to end. Thank you

Lynette‏ @LynetteveK  
@TristanMacManus My first time of actually meeting you tonight. What a truly lovely person #downtoearth open honest person it was an honour

Lynette‏ @LynetteveK  
Wow what an amazing show @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic absolutely brilliant show full on non stop singing and dancing

Jan W‏ @Janwor  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus fabulous show this evening! Thank you

Sue Nightingale‏ @Suzy233  
Great show tonight @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus and @MarkReadMusic @BATheatre Tristan definitely likes a chat doesn't he

Lisa Silvester‏ @retsabala  
Replying to @StrictlyPros @T_MacManusFocus and 5 othersBraintree .. you will thoroughly enjoy the amazing show... thank you Kristina, Tristan and Mark...

Rebecca‏ @RebeckieBuzz  
Just been to see @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus and @MarkReadMusic at @RhodesBStort. Was an amazing show. Loved every second!

Tracy‏ @Tracy_Tango  
@TristanMacManus Thank you both so very much for a great show last night and a fantastic dance! Something to dream about forever! X

Theresa Cowley‏ @TheresaCowley1 
Replying to @StrictlyPros @TeamRihanoff and 5 othersBest show ever

Mandy Camp‏ @molshouse  
@KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic Thank u for a fantastic show. Brilliant dancing & some A1 songs...win win

Sarah Strictly‏ @SarahStrictly  
Thank you @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic @STheatreCo for a fantastic night of song, dance and chat. wonderful production xxxx

Jen‏ @wrenpem  
Loving the show! @TristanMacManus @KRihanoff @MarkReadMusic

Helen Wilce‏ @hwilce  
Absolutely loving An Evening with @KRihanoff and @TristanMacManus with @MarkReadMusic Stunning choreography and music

Strictly Girls‏ @StrictlyGirls  
Fab show, watching @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic Fantastic first half

Susan Walker‏ @suewalkerdance  
Proud of all our amazing kids from CFDA, who danced last night with @KRihanoff and @Tristan MacManus,were so lovely with the kids!!!

Izziy‏ @lizkate23  
Brilliant show @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus and loved @MarkReadMusic
​
Kathryn Reed‏ @katgirdlestone  
Replying to @RugbyBenCohen was so good!! Brilliant opening night. @KRihanoff and @TristanMacManus should be proud of it xx

Isla‏ @itsjustmeiylee  
The show tonight was amazing!!! Thank you for allowing me to briefly share the stage with you, I had a fab time @KRihanoff @TristanMacManus @MarkReadMusic

We’ve heard glowing reports from those who have been fortunate enough to see An Evening with Kristina Rihanoff and Tristan MacManus during these first few days of the tour.  For those of us who haven’t yet had the pleasure, would you tell us a bit about the show itself?
​
The shows have been going well. We are doing a mini-tour which was originally going to be a lot longer in the new year, but I will be back in Sydney and not interested in being away from my girls for such a long time. It’s basically a three-week tour—one week in England, a week in Scotland, and a week in Ireland— so I’m driving around the country and seeing a lot of new places I’ve never been to before. We are almost finished with the first week now, and the audiences have been great. It’s just a nice intimate show.
 
Do you have a favorite part of the show, and is there a dance you perform with Kristina that you especially enjoy?

Not really, I don’t have a favorite part. Usually the Q&A is fun because I get to answer questions the way I want to, and I guess that’s how I want to come across. Sometimes when you are on shows you have to say the right things and almost everything is p.c. so when it comes to these shows, it’s a bit like I used to do on It Takes Two—I can say whatever I want. I love dancing to "Wicked Game" in the show. it’s a song I have wanted to dance to for a long, long time but never got the chance. It’s a version by James VIncent McMorrow.
 
How did the show come together as far as rehearsals, choosing music, dances, etc. and was there a particular song/dance that you wanted included?

To be honest a lot of it was done without me. I was pretty easy when it came to whatever everyone wanted to do. There were some songs that I would have used if I was there from scratch but again Kristina would know the audience more than I would from doing her tours here before. I was happy to go along and just enjoy it. A lot of the songs I have always wanted to dance to in shows may only be songs I like, so it may not work like these do. Rehearsals were quite tough in a way.  We didn’t have too much time together, but we did have some charity shows so we danced together a few months before the tour started. Any chance we got free time, we would put some routines together.  When I came to Scotland for Mrs. Browns Boys, I’d travel down for the weekend to Kristina and try to piece some more together so it was very spread out but it seems to have worked so far and people have been quite receptive to it.
 
Strictly Theatre Co. has done a fantastic job of producing many types of shows. In what respect is this type of show different from others you have been involved with and what are your thoughts about the amazing work Strictly Theatre Co. is doing?

We have been really lucky with Strictly Theatre Co, and the work they do. It really is great, and that shows in the other productions they have. We are grateful to be working with the team. We have a small team on the road, but it is a really determined hard-working group that are great to be around. What I’ve picked up off the Mrs. Brown's Boy's tour is that a hug goes a long way, and we all support each other daily and keep spirits high and that makes it an enjoyable tour. I’d highly recommend this company and, who knows, we may end up working together again. When it comes to these shows it’s hard to say what is different, you know. Honestly, everyone is in a way doing the same thing in terms of dances and whatnot but it’s the individuals that makes the shows different.  It’s a perspective from us and telling our stories and telling them how we want them to be heard.  That’s all you can really do. 
 
We are hearing that Mark Read is doing a fabulous job of hosting and performing as well.  What can you tell us about Mark’s role and do you have a special favorite number that he sings in the show?
 
Mark has been such a great addition to the show, and he does everything.  He isn’t just the host as he is so much more important. He has been so good at keeping the audience up, and his vocals have been on point from day one. I hadn’t met Mark before, although I was familiar with his band and didn’t really know what to expect. But from day one he was enthusiastic, accommodating, and professional, and—more important than anything—he is a genuine guy who wants to put on a great show just like Strictly Theatre Co. We couldn’t be happier to have him on board regardless of how short the tour is. I have never been able to suffer fools and sometimes you come across them in this game—haha.  He has a great voice and is integral to the success of the show. I love "Take On Me"—hahaha—but I also love his "Wicked Game"and "My Way"versions. 
 
Finally, is there anything you would like to share with the fans? (or just say to the somewhat giddy fans)
 
Again, just a big thank you. It’s been a while since I have given you guys anything and I appreciate the unfaltering support. Things are going really well at the moment. I am getting to do a little dancing and also working full-time behind the camera as a producer for Mrs. Browns Boys and my girls are great, so I couldn’t be happier and wish all the same to you guys. 

First of all, tell us how Strictly Theatre Co. began, how it has grown, and what your vision is for the future.
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I first started producing shows in my home town of Great Yarmouth in 1999, when I was seventeen. However, Strictly Theatre Co began much later, in 2015, after I approached Camilla Dallerup about doing a two-night show at the local theatre I was working at, along with her professional partner, Ian Waite. The success of this show led us to do several tours across the country, and Strictly Theatre Co began to grow!
We have just produced an extremely successful tour with Strictly Come Dancing professional, Giovanni Pernice, and are excited for Kristina and Tristan’s tour too!
My vision for the future is to keep growing the business, putting on more successful tours, with the view of producing a west end musical one day.

We’ve been looking forward to the possibility of a Kristina Rihanoff and Tristan MacManus tour since they were pro partners on Strictly Come Dancing.  What can you tell us about their upcoming tour?  Knowing what you know about these two extraordinary performers, what do you think the audience can expect to see?  

It’s very exciting to see them touring together, finally! They are a fantastic partnership, really fun, and wonderful dancers.

The audience are in for a treat, with awesome dance routines, both ballroom and Latin, great stories about their time on ‘Strictly’, and fun interaction with the audience. Not only does the show have all of that, but it also has the added delights of singer Mark Read, from popular boyband A1, who will be hosting as well as singing for us.

You have already produced a number of shows all over the UK and these have been very successful. Please share a little about some of the shows that are already completed and what you have coming up.

As mentioned above, we have produced some very successful tours with Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite and also Giovanni Pernice. Giovanni’s tour was a completely different concept to the ‘An Evening with..’ style. We were very keen to create something that no one else was doing, and it really paid off— the tour was a big hit with audiences across the country.

Along with Kristina and Tristan’s tour this autumn, we are also producing Camilla’s farewell tour with Ian, as she is retiring from dancing to concentrate on her new career as a Life Coach in Los Angeles. We are also working with Camilla on her ‘Reinvent Me’ UK tour, which is a workshop that coincides with the release of her new self-help book of the same name.

2018 is set to be a very exciting year for Strictly Theatre Co, so keep an eye out for some announcements very soon…!!

The logistics of putting together a production such as An Evening with Kristina Rihanoff and Tristan MacManus (or any other show) are mind-boggling. What are some of the challenges? How do you go about organizing and making sure it all goes as smoothly as possible? What kind of staffing is required at various show venues?

The hardest part is definitely booking the venues! Ideally you would try to book theatres along an organised route from one to the next. However, as you can imagine it isn’t as simple as it sounds!! Many theatres are not available on the dates you want, creating a logistical nightmare!!

As well as the dancers having their own rehearsals, we always have a ‘tech’ week before the tour starts, so that the show is 100% ready for opening night. We have a great team in place to ensure that everything from lighting, sound, costumes, are perfect, led by the tour manager to oversee everything.
 
The staff of Strictly Theatre Co. has a wealth of experience in the entertainment industry.  How did it all come together? 

Most of the staff are people we have known or met along the way, as the company has grown.

Karis Day, Director of Productions, started out working for my wife, before they both transitioned over to Strictly Theatre Co when it started getting too busy for me to run on my own!

Kirby Thompson and Tristan Griffen, Sound and Lighting Technicians, both previously worked for the same theatre as I did, so we have built up great working relationships over time.

I am very lucky to have such a good team, who share my passion for theatre and are just as excited about the company’s future as I am.
 
What are some of the most memorable moments from your past shows?  I’m sure there have been a few “uh-oh” moments as well—is there anything you can share?

The most memorable moments are when things happen that shouldn’t!! For instance dancers falling over on stage, a female dancer doing a kick, sending one of her ballroom shoes flying thirty feet in the air…luckily just missing the audience!!
On a serious note, when the audience reacts with great enthusiasm and standing ovations for a show, it is truly overwhelming.

Tristan mentioned in our last interview that he was very happy to have the opportunity to perform in a show in Ireland.  What would you say to his family and friends who are planning to attend?

There is no better feeling than bringing a show to your home, as I have had the opportunity to do with Ian and Camilla. I brought their show to the theatre that I performed in as a child, so for Tristan to be able to come to Ireland must be wonderful for him and his family. I’m sure they will be extremely proud of him and they will definitely be entertained!  It made complete sense to take the show to Ireland, especially with Tristan headlining it, along with Kristina.

Finally, do you have a message for Kristina and Tristan’s fans as things heat up for the tour?

If you want to have fun, get some ‘Strictly’ gossip, watch two amazingly talented dancers perform lots of your favourite ballroom and Latin dances, listen to some gorgeous singing, and have a bit of a dance yourselves, then you do not want to miss this show! It’s going to be sensational! BOOK NOW direct with the theatres.  We are also putting the finishing touches to a souvenir programme that will be on sale during the tour.