Strictly Come Dancing star Robin Windsor brings Moulin Rouge-inspired show Come What May to The Kings Theatre, Southsea | Interview

​The former Strictly Come Dancing pro was off to St Lucia in the Caribbean to work at The Body Holiday, a luxury resort billed as the ‘ultimate getaway for body and mind.’

With his 40th birthday on the horizon, Robin wanted to retire from performing on his terms.

Of course that’s not how things have worked out in the long run, or we wouldn’t be talking again now.

Robin is now starring in his second national tour of Come What May, an all-singing, all-dancing tribute to Moulin Rouge, as well as other movie musical hits such as Rocketman, The Greatest Showman, A Star is Born and Burlesque.

The Guide last spoke with Robin before that farewell tour came to Portsmouth, and great as it is to have him back, what happened?

‘Well, that didn't last too long!’ he laughs, ‘I'm doing a bit of a Cher…’ a reference to the diva who did her first farewell tour in 2003, but returned to the stage a decade later.

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Looking back to his time on St Lucia he says: ‘It was amazing, but really six months was enough for me out there. It was quite isolated on a small island, and I really missed home. I'm so glad that I did it, because it made me realise how much I missed what I did. I think sometimes in life we've got to walk away from something to then realise how much you miss it.’

At the time, Robin really believed this was the end for him as a performer: ‘I was teaching some dance classes while I was out in St Lucia, but I had lost the adrenaline buzz I would always get before a performance and I always said when that had gone it was time to do something else. Little did I realise it would come back, and I am very, very glad that it did.’

Robin returned to the UK in early 2020 ‘just in time for lockdown.’ Had he stayed out there a little longer things could have been quite different.

‘Had I held on for a little bit I would have lived on a luxurious resort for lockdown, supplied with food and a gym and everything which would have been absolutely amazing – rather than a basement flat in London with no sunlight!’ he adds only slightly ruefully.

‘There would have been no guests, and everyone working there from overseas, the owners allowed them to stay on the resort and looked after them for the whole time. I came home too early by about two months!’ he laughs.

So back in London, and living with a friend, Robin found himself in a situation many could sympathise with.

‘I was living with a friend of mine, who I love dearly, but towards the end of the first lockdown, I said: “If you blink any louder, I'm going to do something I regret...” It was, “I love you, but you're getting on my nerves now, so it's time to move”.’

Fortunately Robin was able to move somewhere else when restrictions allowed. And needing something to do, Robin began teaching in schools and ‘visiting’ retirement homes with a West End singer friend, both via Zoom.

‘In the retirement homes I would teach them to do some moves so they could dance in their armchairs, and she would sing along to some war-time songs, and stuff like that. It was very, very rewarding to see those people who had really been struggling to have something to cheer them up.

‘When I was doing the primary schools, I think it was more for the benefit of the teachers and the parents at home because the kids are too young to remember me on the show! With the older generation though, they absolutely love Strictly and they remembered me on it very well, and I think they were just pleased to have someone come into their space, even though it was on a big screen on Zoom.’

During his four years on Strictly Robin may have never got his hands on the show’s glitter ball trophy, but he did prove popular with the show’s legions of fans as he partnered with Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, Lisa Riley and Deborah Meaden. As a result, it’s no surprise that his way back to the stage saw him hooking up with some old friends from the show.

‘I really didn't have any aspirations to get back on stage, I just knew that I wanted to dance. Halfway through lockdown I got a phonecall saying: “Look, I know you've retired, but I'm wondering if you'd like to be in a show called Here Come The Boys with some of the other Strictly boys?”. It was Aljaz, Graziano, Pasha and myself. I said: “You know what, that’s great but I really don't fancy touring again”. And he said: “Oh no, don't worry, it's four months at The Garrick Theatre on the West End,” and that was it, I said: “Sign me up!”’

Unfortunately further pandemic restrictions put paid to that residency, but they eventually ran the show for two weeks at the London Palladium – the first show to be back in there after lockdown.

‘That was an absolutely amazing experience. To be back on stage, everybody was saying, “You needed this break because you are dancing like you have never danced before”, and in all of the reviews everyone was picking me out and saying, oh my gosh, Robin's stealing the show. It was such a rewarding thing for me to get that on my comeback.’

Just before the run finished, they were told showbiz legend and Strictly presenter Bruce Forsyth has his ashes buried under the stage. ‘We all got a little bit tearful when we found that out. All four of my years on the show were when he was still there.’

And it was starring in Here Come The Boys which brought him to his current show.

‘As it turned out, the producer of Come What May was at the opening night of Here Come The Boys. He saw me and came to me afterwards and said: “I want you in my show”. So I did a tour of Come What May last year, it was so successful that we decided to do it again this year.’

When we speak, the 66-date tour has just started, and Robin has clearly got that adrenaline high back.

‘It's been absolutely amazing – the crowds are absolutely loving it, which they did last year as well. It's such a feelgood show – you don't have to concentrate on a plot, it's just singing and dancing, it's a bit of a concert, and everyone just wants to have a bit of fun at the moment and forget about all of the horrible stuff that's going on in the world.

‘There's a really special energy between the group of people that we've got. We've all come together quite quickly – the rehearsals were gruelling – and we've got an incredible show to take out to people.’

It’s no surprise to learn that Robin is a big fan of Moulin Rouge – on screen and stage.

‘I've seen the musical on Broadway, and my significant other is in the one on West End! I feel like I'm meant to be in this show – I can't sing, so I'm never going to be in the one on the West End, which means this is as close as I am going to get. I'm can canning my way across the country...’

Given one of his concerns before ‘retiring’ was physically being able to stay at the peak of his game, how has he coped with that aspect?

‘It’s been surprisingly good. I've spent the last six months really taking good care of my body. Never in a million years, in my 44th year, did I think I'd still be headlining dance shows around the country, and I’m very privileged, having not been on Strictly for 10 years that I am still able to sell out a theatre. Putting me with everyone who loves Moulin Rouge, it seems to be a great formula!’

Once the tour is done, Robin’s looking forward to working more in schools.

‘After what I did online with the schools in lockdown, I've had them starting to get in touch to ask if I'll go in in person, so I've been doing that. It's probably one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever done. Seeing children who perhaps have behavioural issues or struggle with the academic side, when they find their creative side, you can see the teachers’ response to that, being almost tearful, not expecting certain boys especially, to be able to get up and dance like that. And it's because the government cut a lot of creative aspects out of the curriculum, and everything is academic, so I'm starting to push for more creative, artistic elements in the curriculum.’

Come What May is at The Kings Theatre, Southsea on Thursday, February 23. Tickets from £31.50. Go to kingsportsmouth.co.uk.