Celebrated Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood promises a fun-filled 'blast from the past' in a brand new musical comedy coming to Southampton next week. 

Craig, a Mayflower Theatre regular in pantomime and shows including Annie, directs and choreographs NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, which runs from Tuesday (January 14) until Saturday January 18.

Get ready to relive the soundtrack of your youth as the show celebrates 40 years of the iconic chart-topping compilation albums. 

(Image: Mayflower Theatre) READ MORE: Hamilton, Summer Sessions and all the things to look forward to in 2025

It's a fun-filled evening bursting with some of the greatest hits from the 80s: Gold, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Tainted Love, Hey Mickey, Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves and more.

It stars EastEnders actress Nina Wadia and 2013 X Factor winner Sam Bailey, who will be joined on stage by special guest and pop icon, Sonia – performing one of her biggest hits, Better The Devil You Know!

It’s Birmingham, 1989. School friends Gemma and April are planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley! Fast forward to Birmingham 2009, and they’re confronted with their worst nightmare: the school reunion…!

(Image: Pamela Raith Photography) Craig told the Daily Echo: "You can expect some fantastic tunes, a blast from the past, some amazing dancing, some great singing and a great story. The main characters flash back to how they were as teenagers, the music they listened to in the 80s and the things that led them to live their lives the way they have. It explores all of that and we also have a twist towards the end where we go ahead in time too. It goes through various time zones, so it's a little bit like Back to the Future!

We're using songs from the 80s to help push the story forward. There are so many creative opportunities with a new show and when I'm directing I really let everyone have a bit of a say.

"I think people will learn something about themselves. The story will prompt them to reflect on their lives to date and how it's all worked out for them. People will see themselves in the show and that's one of the many things that's really great about it."

(Image: Mayflower Theatre) See mayflower.org.uk