Dick and Angel Strawbridge have kept audiences captivated with their adventures renovating a French castle in Escape to the Chateau. For the first time, the couple bring their live show to Australia, coming to Canberra Theatre Centre on 8-9 March. CW’s Jessica Cordwell caught up with Angel to discuss renos and dreams. 

What can audiences expect?

Many will know our chateau adventures, but less will know of how we got to live in a beautiful chateau with two beautiful children. So, the first half the show is our story, our past, and how we found each other and the chateau. This is a love story, after all!

After the interval we have a bit of fun and play chateau bingo with prizes up for grabs. The items are parts of the chateau’s past, so the winners can literally say they own a bit of the chateau! 

What drew you to the chateau originally?

It had nearly everything on our wish list … we had searched for years to find the one and with its fairy-tale turrets, moat, and walled garden, how could we not fall in love?!

Were you interested in renovations before buying the property?

Very much so – Dick can turn his hand to pretty much anything and loves the engineering and problem solving in everything. I’m more interested in the cosmetic element, but it’s a good match! Neither of us is afraid of a bit of hard work. We know that old buildings need a lot of TLC, so we were fully prepared to get stuck in with a renovation.

How did buying a home turn into a hit television series?

We had made the decision to move to France for the lifestyle it offered. When we discovered we could buy a chateau with the potential to turn our home into a business, which also meant we could be around more for our young children, we felt that the challenges and achievements could make happy TV!  

What’s next for you?

Our trip Down Under is a dream come true for our whole family – we are so excited for this adventure! We have more TV, a new book, and some other exciting projects in the pipeline which we also can’t wait to share later this year.

Catch Dick and Angel in Dare to Do It at Canberra Theatre Centre, 8-9 March; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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