Arlene Phillips

We begin the festival with laughter from Nina Conti and end it with sparkle from Dame Arlene Phillips. Next to the NHS, Strictly Come Dancing is probably as close to a national religion as Britain gets and Arlene is one of its high priestesses. In a unique and exclusive session, she comes to Melrose to talk not only about the Strictly years, about Brucie, Craig and Len, but also about a stellar career in her own right. Made a dame in 2022 for services to dance, she is a showbiz legend having choreographed hit shows from Starlight Express to Grease, Guys and Dolls and many others on Broadway and in the West End. Arlene has had a career that would get a ten from Len and all of the rest of us.