Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks sees Australia’s favourite song and dance man, Todd McKenney, team up with the leading lady who helped introduce him to dramatical acting in live theatre.

When Nancye Hayes and McKenney take to the stage in Ensemble Theatre’s much-loved production it will be like a reunion for the two stars.

A lot has happened to both of their careers since the last time they starred in the production and that has only further added to the appeal of Hayes and McKenney getting back together.

When Merrigong artistic director Simon Hinton made the announcement about the year starting with the two big names at the season launch it was met with a round of applause.

Mr Hinton is expecting Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks will again be a smash hit at Illawarra Performing Arts Centre from February 17 to 20.

And for good reason.

When McKenney told everyone how great it was to be back doing the play in Wollongong he revealed how he and Ms Hayes were first asked to do it again a year after the last time it ran.

“It became the most successful play that Ensemble in its 53 year history has ever produced,” he said.

“Nancye and I are enormously proud of that. We just feel so connected to this play. When we got the scripts..I had never done a straight play before. It had always been musical theatre for me so the whole concept of it was a little daunting.”

But both he and Ms Hayes could see its potential and thought the script was brilliant.

“But I had to learn to act,” he said.

“It is a different style of acting to what I had done before. I cut my teeth on it so to come back and revisit it now with nine years of experience under my belt I am looking forward to seeing how I have changed and how much I have learned. Nancye and I always said we were too young to play it the first time so I am sure we have grown into it. And it will naturally have a slightly different feel to it.”

“Because we are both nine years older.”

When asked about their great chemistry together on stage McKenney said it came from the fact they were both dancers.

He said they also have deep respect and enormously high regard for each other.

“And this is such a relatable play,” he said.

“You laugh and you cry at the same time. The essence of the play is I think about people feeling that once they become a certain age that they are going to become invisible. And every time we finish the show and people come up to us in the foyer they tell us their stories of feeling invisible..or about their fear of becoming invisible. There is a beautiful premise to the play but..it is very funny. And I guarantee you will also be bawling your eyes out..at the end of the night.’’

In announcing Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks Mr Hinton told theatre fans how the story starts with Lily, an attractive Florida retiree, advertising for a teacher to help her master some new steps.

But she doesn’t bargain on being landed with Michael and his dancing baggage.

As their lessons progress, Michael also discovers that Lily has more than a little emotional history under her hard exterior.

A story of two opposites finding each other in the most diverse way possible.

“This poignant comedy has danced from Broadway to worldwide success and features choreography by John O’Connell, known for his work on films such as Moulin Rouge and Strictly Ballroom,” Mr Hinton said.

The director is Sandra Bates, designer Graham Maclean and lighting designer Trudy Dalgleish.

Other productions and shows coming in 2016 include The 52-Storey Treehouse which is expected to be popular with children.

There are also two Sydney Theatre Company productions coming this year with Disgraced the first of those. It will later be followed later in the year by CounterMove.

Another highlight of the year is expected to be Merrigong's own commissioned work about letters written to Lindy Chamberlain called Letters to Lindy.

The year ends with the soulful sounds of Paul Kelly and Camille O'Sullivan in Ancient Rain.  

http://www.merrigong.com.au/merrigong-season/