The Next Step (Canadian TV series)

Canadian television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Next Step is a Canadian teen drama series created by Frank Van Keeken, that originally premiered on Family Channel on March 8, 2013. Presented in a pseudo-documentary style influenced by reality television, the series follows the members of a troupe from the titular dance studio, as they train for and compete in various championships, while dealing with rivalries and drama from other dance schools and even among the team itself.

Quick Facts Genre, Created by ...
The Next Step
Thumb
GenreTeen drama
Created byFrank Van Keeken
StarringSee Cast listing
Theme music composerGrayson Matthews
Opening themeStand Up
by Jessica Lee and Kit Knows
Ending theme
  • Stand Up
    by Jessica Lee and Kit Knows (seasons 1-4)
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons9
No. of episodes255 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Laura Harbin
  • Rachael Schaefer
  • Chloe Van Keeken
  • Jay Prychidny
  • Amy Wright
  • Laurie McLarty
  • Laura Notarianni
  • Brian Hartigan
  • Jan Caruana
  • Brad Vermunt
  • Brandon Hackett
Production locations
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22–28 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseMarch 8, 2013 (2013-3-8) 
present
Related
Lost & Found Music Studios
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The Next Step has spawned digital content, live touring shows featuring its cast members, and a spinoff series titled Lost & Found Music Studios. The series has also been sold internationally to broadcasters such as CBBC in the United Kingdom, and Universal Kids in the United States—which became a production partner for its sixth season.

The series moved to CBC Gem for its seventh season in 2020, then moving to YTV from its eighth season in 2022. In June 2024, The Cinemaholic reported that Family Channel had renewed The Next Step for its tenth season, and in November, the BBC confirmed that The Next Step would return for a tenth and final season in 2025.

Episodes

More information Season, Episodes ...
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released (Canada)
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
130March 8, 2013 (2013-3-8)January 3, 2014 (2014-1-3)Family Channel
234March 7, 2014 (2014-3-7)January 2, 2015 (2015-1-2)
330March 16, 2015 (2015-3-16)December 11, 2015 (2015-12-11)
440February 15, 2016 (2016-2-15)May 12, 2017 (2017-5-12)
520May 26, 2017 (2017-5-26)December 13, 2017 (2017-12-13)
626September 29, 2018 (2018-9-29)April 7, 2019 (2019-4-7)
Special2December 21, 2019 (2019-12-21)YouTube
724April 10, 2020 (2020-4-10)September 18, 2020 (2020-9-18)CBC Gem
827September 26, 2022 (2022-9-26)November 24, 2022 (2022-11-24)YTV
922May 13, 2024 (2024-5-13)June 17, 2024 (2024-6-17)
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Cast

More information Actor, Character ...
Actor Character Appearances
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Main characters
Alexandra Beaton Emily MainRecurringMainDoes not appearGuest
Victoria Baldesarra Michelle MainRecurringGuestMain
Trevor Tordjman James MainGuestDoes not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Brittany Raymond Riley MainGuestDoes not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Tamina Pollack Paris Tiffany MainRecurringDoes not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Jordan Clark Giselle MainRecurringDoes not appearGuestRecurringDoes not appearGuest
Jennifer Pappas Chloe MainDoes not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Isaac Lupien Eldon MainRecurringMain
Samantha Grecchi Stephanie MainRecurringMainGuestDoes not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Lamar Johnson West MainRecurringMainDoes not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Brennan Clost Daniel MainRecurringGuestMainDoes not appearGuest
Shamier Anderson Chris MainRecurringDoes not appear
Bree Wasylenko Kate MainRecurringGuestDoes not appearRecurringGuest
Logan Fabbro Amanda RecurringMainDoes not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Natalie Krill Phoebe Does not appearMainGuestDoes not appear
Zac Vran Hunter Does not appearMainGuestDoes not appear
Taveeta Szymanowicz-Bramble Thalia Does not appearMainRecurringGuestRecurringDoes not appear
Devon Michael Brown Max RecurringMainGuestDoes not appear
Cierra Healey Cierra Does not appearMainRecurringDoes not appear
Shantel Angela Vailloo Shantel Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Myles Erlick Noah RecurringMainDoes not appearGuest
Alexandra Chaves Piper Does not appearMainGuest
Giuseppe Bausilio Alfie Does not appearMainDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Erika Prevost Sloane Does not appearMainGuestDoes not appear
Akiel Julien LaTroy Does not appearMainGuestDoes not appear
Skylar Healey Skylar Does not appearRecurringMainGuestDoes not appear
Allie Goodbun Cassie Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Shelby Bain Amy Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Briar Nolet Richelle Does not appearRecurringMainGuest
Isaiah Peck Henry Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Dylan Ratzlaff Jacquie Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Jessica Lord Lola Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Julian Lombardi Ozzy Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Dawson Handy Josh Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Noah Zulfikar Kingston Does not appearMainDoes not appearGuest
Milaina Robinson Zara Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Hanna Miller Heather Does not appearRecurringMainGuestDoes not appear
Sage Linder Summer Does not appearMainGuestDoes not appear
Emmerly Tinglin Kenzie Does not appearMain
Liam Mackie Finn Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Berkeley Ratzlaff Davis Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Carter Musselman Heath Does not appearRecurringMain
Katie Ortencio Lily Does not appearRecurringMainGuest
Danielle Verayo Cleo Does not appearMainGuestDoes not appear
Myles Dobson Nick Does not appearMainGuest
Molly Saunders Jude Does not appearRecurringMainGuestDoes not appear
Renee Romolo Izzy Does not appearRecurringMain
Ben Williams Pete Does not appearRecurringMain
Shane Mahabir Ethan Does not appearRecurringMain
Brandon Lising Xander Does not appearGuestMainGuestDoes not appear
Mila Sophia Tupy Jett Does not appearMain
Blake Talabis Anthony Does not appearMain
Maija Makila Dylan Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Melody Cao Daisy Does not appearMainGuest
Autumn Daye-Fraser Ebby Does not appearMainDoes not appear
Nicholas McClung Niall Does not appearMain
Sheriauna Haase Adele Does not appearMainGuest
Kate Roman Ariana Does not appearGuestMain
Hattie Kragten Olive Does not appearMain
Brianna Diebolt Grace Does not appearRecurringMain
Mackenzie Barbeu Pascale Does not appearRecurringMain
Tim Zvifel Jonah Does not appearGuestMain
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Production

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Development

On February 24, 2012, Family Channel announced that it had ordered 26 half-hour episodes (including S1 and S1.5),[4] and a four-episode season finale.[5] Special content was also going to be available, including The Next Step Interactive. On April 9, 2013, Family announced that it had renewed the series for a second season,[6] which premiered on March 7, 2014.[7]

On May 5, 2014, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on March 16, 2015.[8] On April 16, 2015, it was announced that the series would return for a fourth season, which premiered on February 15, 2016.[9] On March 21, 2016, Frank van Keeken announced on Instagram that The Next Step would return for a fifth season, which premiered on May 26, 2017.[10][11]

In July 2017, the series was renewed for a 26-episode sixth season, which premiered on September 29, 2018.[12][13] From then on, Boat Rocker would take over distribution from BBC Worldwide for the series, although the latter would continue to co-fund production and continue to distribute the first five seasons.[14] A 24-episode seventh season premiered on CBC Gem on April 10, 2020, and was preceded with a two-part special in December 2019.[15][16]

In April 2022, CBBC revealed that an eighth season was in production.[17] The series moved to YTV in Canada, and the season premiered on September 26, 2022.[18] On October 3, 2023, CBBC revealed there would a ninth season of The Next Step.[19] In June 2024, The Cinemaholic reported that Family Channel had renewed The Next Step for its tenth season; despite the last two series’ not airing on the station.[20] In November 2024, the BBC confirmed that the Next Step would return for a tenth and final season in 2025.[21]

Filming

Filming began on July 19, 2012, in Toronto, Ontario.[22] The Next Step is filmed at Filmport Presentation Centre, Toronto.[2]

Exterior and street shots were shot on location in Downtown Toronto. Locations include Dundas Street, Front Street, Jarvis Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street. The exterior shots posing as The Next Step studio are from Colborne Street.[3]

Broadcast & distribution

The series aired from March 8, 2013, to April 7, 2019, on Family Channel in Canada, and from April 10, 2020, to September 18, 2020, on CBC Gem for the series' seventh season. The show also airs on TFO.[23] The series premiere set rating records for Family, with at least 574,000 viewers on its initial broadcast—which set a record for Family's highest-rated original series premiere.[6]

Outside of Canada, the series has aired on Universal Kids in the United States, and CBBC and BBC Three in the United Kingdom.

On January 8, 2014, BBC Worldwide licensed the series to several international broadcasters, including ABC Me in Australia, Hulu in the United States, and CBBC in the United Kingdom.[24][25]

In August 2017, the U.S. rights to the series were sold to Universal Kids, with the network also becoming a production partner for the sixth season. Boat Rocker Media, owner of the show's producer, Radical Sheep Productions, cited a reduction in funding for the series from Family Channel parent company DHX Media as an impetus for the arrangement.[26]

Reception

In July 2020, The Next Step was praised by viewers and the media for airing a same-sex kiss, when characters Cleo (Dani Verayo) and Jude (Molly Saunders) kissed after performing a duet together.[27] This was the first same-sex kiss to be featured in the series, following a gay couple being briefly featured in an episode of the fourth season.[28]

Awards and nominations

More information Year, Award ...
Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2013 Shaw Rocket Prize Children (ages 6-to-12) The Next Step Won [29]
Digi Awards Best in Cross-Platform Kids The Next Step Interactive Won [7]
2014 KidScreen Awards Best Companion Website The Next Step Interactive Nominated [30][31]
Canadian Cinema Editors Awards Best Editing in 1/2 Hour Broadcast Short Form Jay Prychidny Won [32]
Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series The Next Step Nominated [33][34]
Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Episode – "Sabotage" Nominated [33][34]
2015 Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series The Next Step Nominated [35]
Best Writing in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Alejandro Alcoba and Carling Tedesco Nominated [35]
Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Brittany Raymond Nominated [35]
British Academy Children's Awards Kids' Vote Frank van Keeken Won [36]
2016 British Academy Children's Awards Kids' Vote Frank van Keeken Won [37]
Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV Series - Recurring Young Actor (14 - 21) Myles Erlick Nominated [38]
2017 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Brittany Raymond Won [39]
2018 Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series The Next Step Nominated [40]
Best Performance, Children's or Youth Akiel Julien Nominated [40]
Best Writing, Children's or Youth Rachael Schaefer Nominated [40]
Best Direction, Children's or Youth Derby Crewe Nominated [40]
2019 Canadian Screen Awards Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series The Next Step Nominated
Best Performance, Children's or Youth Akiel Julien Nominated [41]
Best Writing, Children's or Youth Karen McClellan Nominated [41]
Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series Mitchell Ness Nominated [41]
2021 British LGBT Awards Media Moment The Next Step Nominated [42]
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Spinoff

The Next Step set up a spinoff series in its third season, called Lost & Found Music Studios, which uses a similar mockumentary format, and which features some of the cast from The Next Step. The spinoff focuses on musicians and songwriters enrolled together in a special program at a music studio.[43] The series debuted on Family Channel in Canada on December 11, 2015.[44] and later was released on Netflix.[43] The series consists of two seasons of 27 episodes.

Digital content

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The Next Step Interactive

The aftershow started when an episode finished.[45] It was approximately 1–3 minutes long, and was hosted by five members: Asha Bromfield, Lovell Adams-Gray, Luke Watters, Kelly McNamee, and Samantha "Sam" Munro.[46] The aftershow talks about The Next Step and breaks down some parts to help the viewer understand storylines.[45][47]

The Next Step: The Off Season

The Next Step: The Off Season (also titled The Next Step: Off Season) is a short series that depicts events that take place between the fourth and fifth seasons of The Next Step. The series was initially released exclusively on The Family Channel App, and was made be available on YouTube and the Family Channel website starting on May 19, 2017.[10] The short series includes hints for the subsequent fifth season, as well as introducing new characters that are featured in season 5. A second season, titled The Next Step: The Scholarship, depicted events between the fifth and sixth seasons of the series, and introduced characters that would appear in season 6. A third season, titled The Next Step: Mini Episodes, presents events that take place between the sixth and seventh seasons.

Website

The Next Step has a website with information about the characters, a schedule of episodes, a gallery of shots and videos from the show and a store, with The Next Step related clothing. It also includes a soundtrack for The Next Step.[48][49]

Tours

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Hit The Floor Tour (2013)

Quick Facts Start date, End date ...
The Next Step: Hit The Floor Tour
Shopping Mall tour by The Next Step
Thumb
A promotional poster for the Conestoga Mall tour date
Start dateOctober 19, 2013 (2013-10-19)
End dateOctober 27, 2013 (2013-10-27)
No. of shows9
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In September 2013, Paul Cormack of Family Channel announced that The Next Step cast would go on a tour of Canada:

"We are always looking for new and exciting ways to connect with our audience on a national level. The Next Step Hit The Floor Tour reaches viewers in their own communities, providing a one-of-a-kind, interactive experience that demonstrates Family Channel's commitment to creating unique opportunities for its fans."

Paul Cormack, Director of Marketing, Family Channel[50]

The cast members that hosted the Hit the Floor Tour were Victoria Baldesarra, Lamar Johnson, Isaac Lupien, Jennifer Pappas, Brittany Raymond, and Trevor Tordjman. Each event consisted of the cast performing on stage in groups, and a Q&A session where the audience could ask questions and get "takeaways" for attending the event. The first 200 attendees were given a wristband, which would get them an autograph signed by the hosts.[50]

More information Date, City ...
Hit the Floor Tour dates and locations[50]
Date City Country Venue
October 19, 2013 Oshawa Canada Oshawa Centre
Toronto Scarborough Town Centre
October 20, 2013 Richmond Hill Hillcrest Mall
October 21, 2013 Waterloo Conestoga Mall
October 22, 2013 Halifax Mic Mac Mall
October 24, 2013 Winnipeg Kildonan Place
October 25, 2013 Edmonton Kingsway Mall
October 26, 2013 Calgary The Core
October 27, 2013 Vancouver Metrotown
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Due to the attendance numbers at the previous six malls, Family Channel moved the event in the Kingsway Mall in Edmonton, Alberta from inside to the parking lot.[51]

The Next Step: Live on Stage (2015)

The Next Step: Live on Stage was a cross-Canada tour that took place in the winter of 2015. It was the second tour for the show.[52] The documentary film The Next Step Live: The Movie depicts the events of this tour. Castmembers on this tour were Victoria Baldesarra, Brittany Raymond, Trevor Tordjman, Jordan Clark, Lamar Johnson, Isaac Lupien, Jennifer Pappas, Logan Fabbro, Samantha Grecchi and Myles Erlick.

Wild Rhythm Tour (2016)

The cast of The Next Step put on a third tour in 2016. This was the first international tour by the cast, and was initially scheduled to hold performances in Canada, Spain, England and Ireland;[53] subsequently show performances were added, including in Portugal,[54] Italy,[55] Australia, and New Zealand.[56] The European and Australian legs of this tour are depicted in the documentary film The Next Step Live on Stage: Show the World.

The cast for the Wild Rhythm Tour were Victoria Baldesarra, Trevor Tordjman, Jordan Clark, Taveeta Szymanowicz, Isaac Lupien, Myles Erlick, and Briar Nolet, with newcomer Isaiah Peck, who was to star as Henry in season 4, also performing on the tour;[53] Lamar Johnson was added to the tour cast later. Szymanowicz was only on the Canadian leg of the tour, while Brittany Raymond performed in some of the European shows but could not go to the shows in Australia and New Zealand because of a family issue.[57]

More information Date, City ...
Wild Rhythm Tour dates and locations
Date City Country Venue
North America
February 3, 2016 London Canada Budweiser Gardens
February 4, 2016 Hamilton FirstOntario Concert Hall
February 5, 2016 St. Catharines Meridian Centre
February 6, 2016 Kitchener Centre In The Square
February 7, 2016 Sudbury Sudbury Community Arena
February 9, 2016 Thunder Bay Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
February 11, 2016 Regina Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts
February 12, 2016 Edmonton Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
February 13, 2016 Medicine Hat Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre
February 14, 2016 Kelowna Kelowna Community Theatre
February 15, 2016 Vancouver Queen Elizabeth Theatre
February 17, 2016 Calgary Stampede Corral
February 18, 2016 Saskatoon TCU Place
February 19, 2016 Winnipeg Pantages Playhouse Theatre
February 21, 2016 Sault Ste. Marie GFL Memorial Gardens
February 24, 2016 Montreal Place des Arts
February 25, 2016 Kingston Leon's Centre
February 26, 2016 Toronto Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
February 27, 2016 Québec Grand Théâtre de Québec
February 28, 2016 Moncton Casino New Brunswick
February 29, 2016
March 1, 2016 Halifax Scotiabank Centre
March 3, 2016 St. John's Mile One Centre
Europe
April 1, 2016 Madrid Spain Auditorio A. Recinto Ferial Juan Carlos I
April 2, 2016 Barcelona L'Auditori
April 4, 2016 London England Lyric Theatre
April 5, 2016 New Wimbledon Theatre
April 6, 2016 Dublin Ireland Olympia Theatre
April 7, 2016 York England Barbican Centre
April 8, 2016 Newcastle Newcastle City Hall
April 9, 2016 Birmingham Birmingham Town Hall
April 10, 2016 Manchester The Lowry
Oceania
September 18, 2016 Melbourne Australia Hamer Hall, Melbourne
September 20, 2016 Adelaide Thebarton Theatre
September 22, 2016 Perth Perth Concert Hall
September 24, 2016 Sydney Big Top Sydney
September 26, 2016 Brisbane Queensland Performing Arts Centre
September 28, 2016 Auckland New Zealand Aotea Centre
Europe
October 29, 2016 Bath England The Forum
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The Next Step: Live on Stage (2017)

The cast of The Next Step went on tour in 2017 to Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Dublin, Ireland.[citation needed]

The cast on this tour was similar to the Wild Rhythm Tour but with a few additions. The main cast included Victoria Baldesarra (Michelle), Jordan Clark (Giselle), Brittany Raymond (Riley), Myles Erlick (Noah), Briar Nolet (Richelle), Isaiah Peck (Henry) and Shelby Bain (Amy). For the Australian & New Zealand Leg, the show also included cast members Trevor Tordjman (James), Lamar Johnson (West) and Issac Lupien (Eldon). For the UK & Ireland leg, the shows also included Alexandra Chaves (Piper). In Australia & New Zealand the show was hosted by Disney presenters Adam Roberts & Ashleigh Wells (from Hanging with Adam & Ash). Trevor Tordjman was originally meant to perform on the UK leg of the tour but had to pull out due to the filming of Disney Channel's Zombies, and Isaiah Peck missed a couple of the UK shows.[citation needed]

More information Date, City ...
The Next Step: Live on Stage (2017) dates and locations
Date City Country Venue
Oceania
April 13, 2017 Newcastle Australia Newcastle Civic Theatre
April 15, 2017 Sydney Big Top Sydney
April 16, 2017
April 18, 2017 Brisbane QPAC
April 20, 2017 Canberra Canberra Theatre Centre
April 22, 2017 Hobart Derwent Entertainment Centre
April 23, 2017 Melbourne Hamer Hall
April 26, 2017 Christchurch New Zealand Horncastle Arena
April 28, 2017 Wellington St James Theatre
April 30, 2017 Auckland Spark Arena
Europe
May 24, 2017 Dublin Ireland Olympia Theatre
May 26, 2017 Bristol England Colston Hall
May 27, 2017 Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions
May 28, 2017 Ipswich Regent Theatre
May 30, 2017 Bournemouth Bournemouth International Centre
May 31, 2017 Newcastle Newcastle City Hall
June 1, 2017 Edinburgh Scotland Usher Hall
June 2, 2017 Blackpool England Opera House
June 3, 2017 York Barbican
June 4, 2017 Liverpool Empire Theatre
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Absolute Dance Tour (2019)

Nine of the season 6 cast toured Australia,[58] Scotland, England,[59] and Ireland,[60][61] in September, October, and November 2019. The cast for the Absolute Dance Tour were Isaiah Peck, Shelby Bain, Alexandra Chaves, Berkeley Ratzlaff, Sage Linder, Dylan Ratzlaff, Liam Mackie, Noah Zulfikar, and Briar Nolet.[61] Victoria Baldesarra joined for the Australia leg of the tour,[62] with Myles Erlick joining on the UK leg.[63] Alexandra Chaves missed the first few UK shows due to health issues, but rejoined in Manchester initially doing fewer dances before recovering completely towards the end of the tour.[citation needed]

Fans also had the chance to meet and greet the cast and have their photo taken with them. The meet and greet included watching them rehearse, a private question and answer session, a signed poster and a VIP meet and greet lanyard all before the show. They did two shows on some days, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, whereas on other days, they only did one.[citation needed]

More information Date, City ...
Absolute Dance Tour dates and locations
Date City Country Venue
Oceania[58]
September 19, 2019 Newcastle Australia Newcastle Civic Theatre
September 21, 2019 Melbourne Melbourne Convention Centre
September 22, 2019 Geelong Geelong Performing Arts Centre
September 24, 2019 Brisbane Fortitude Music Hall
September 25, 2019 Gold Coast Home of the Arts
September 28, 2019 Wollongong Wollongong Entertainment Centre
September 29, 2019 Canberra Canberra Theatre Centre
October 1, 2019 Adelaide Thebarton Theatre
October 3, 2019 Hobart Wrest Point Hotel Casino
October 5, 2019 Sydney Big Top Auditorium
October 8, 2019 Perth Perth Superdrome
Europe[59][60][61]
October 17, 2019 Glasgow Scotland SEC Armadillo
October 19, 2019 Manchester England O2 Apollo
October 20, 2019 Nottingham Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
October 21, 2019 Leicester De Montfort Hall
October 22, 2019 London Hammersmith Apollo
October 24, 2019 Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions
October 25, 2019 Brighton Brighton Centre
October 26, 2019 Portsmouth Portsmouth Guildhall
October 27, 2019 Bournemouth Bournemouth International Centre
October 29, 2019 Newcastle Newcastle City Hall
October 30, 2019 York Barbican Centre
October 31, 2019 Bath The Forum
November 2, 2019 Dublin Ireland Olympia Theatre
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