Janette Manrara is stepping out in 'Affluenza'

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Janette Manrara enters an exciting career chapter, as she stars in a thought-provoking new play.

Summary

• Former Strictly pro Janette Manrara is starring opposite Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp in Affluenza
• The show is part of the Mainstage Season at Riverside Studios
• Manrara has also starred in the UK tour of Chicago

Anyone who watched Janette Manrara burning up the Strictly dancefloor during her eight years on the hit BBC show knows that she’s a force of nature. However, they may not have realised that theatre was actually this charismatic performer’s first love. “I was a thespian in high school,” she explains. “I just loved telling stories.”

But, with more opportunities for dancing than acting in her native Miami, it was her fleet footwork that initially propelled her career, leading her to the American TV show So You Think You Can Dance, and then, in 2013, Strictly Come Dancing. Her celebrity partners included singers Peter Andre, Aston Merrygold and HRVY; she finished runner-up with the latter in her final series.

Manrara then moved into presenting, and, in 2025, came full circle by returning to theatre, playing Roxie Hart in the UK tour of Chicago. Now she’s taking an even bigger leap by starring in her first play: the world premiere of Andy Sandberg’s Affluenza at London’s Riverside Studios.

“It’s such an exciting challenge,” enthuses Manrara. “This is the first time I’m doing something not dance-related. But as soon as I read the script, it totally captured my interest because of the topics it discusses.” Affluenza is loosely inspired by a tragic real-life case involving a wealthy teenage boy who was driving while drunk. During his sentencing, the defence psychologist argued that he suffered from “affluenza”: his privileged upbringing left him unable to understand the magnitude of his actions.

“The play holds up a mirror to society: it covers so many important subjects that are hugely relevant right now,” says Manrara. “Privilege, power dynamics, the justice system, morality, generational consequences – how what you do in your young adult life can really impact on you later – and parents trying to do the right thing for their children. I love plays and films where, the second you’ve seen them, you just have to have a conversation. Affluenza is definitely one of those.”

Manrara is part of an impressive cast of six, including Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp and Olivier nominee Rupert Young. “They’re all so phenomenal – I feel like I’m a competition winner,” she laughs. But she’s embracing the learning opportunity, she adds: “I’m a big sponge. I gain a lot from just watching, so even when I’m not involved with a scene, I try to be in the room.”

Manrara is playing three characters “who are all very different”. Handily, her dance background has turned out to be an asset, she says. “You can differentiate each character through things like breath, posture and stance. There’s a physical element.” Her Strictly experience has also proved useful. “The first scene I had with Noah, he turned to me after and said ‘I really enjoyed doing that with you’. I think that comes from working with celebrities who were very nervous and vulnerable, and thinking about how to make the other person feel comfortable.”

Manrara strikingly describes this phase of her life as a “reinvention”. As she explains: “I’m a mother now, I’m turning 43 in November, and Lyra [her daughter, with husband and fellow Strictly pro Aljaž Škorjanec] is a toddler. Over the summer I had a massive period of reflection. Women, especially mothers, put so much pressure on themselves to be a certain way – we shouldn’t do this or wear this. But I still feel very myself. I’m just more aware of who I am and what I value now, so I make better choices than I did at 25. I’m ready to navigate to a different part of me: Janette 3.0.”

Strictly has played a part in this too. Manrara says she had a “gut instinct” that, after hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced their departure, there would be more change to come – and indeed, Manrara is no longer presenting sister show It Takes Two. “But I’m hosting the live tour, so I’m still part of the Strictly family, and Aljaž is on it, so we still have Strictly in our house. Really the biggest change is that I won’t be watching on Saturday night because I’ll be on stage!”

It’s been a joy, she says, to “tap back into the acting part of me. It’s always been there, laying dormant, waiting for the right moment.” The spark reignited when she saw Suzie Miller’s incendiary plays Prima Facie and Inter Alia. “I remember thinking ‘I want this as my next challenge.’ I’ve been working hard, quietly preparing myself for an opportunity like this, and I’m so grateful that Affluenza came along.”

Now that she’s got the bug again, Manrara says acting will definitely be part of her future. “There’s nothing like the feeling of live theatre and connecting with an audience.” As for those coming along to Affluenza, Manrara advises: “Be prepared to go on a wild ride.”

Book Affluenza tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

This article first appeared in the October 2026 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: Janette Manrara. (Courtesy of production). Inset: in rehearsals with Noah Schnapp. (Photos by Justine Matthew)