November 2015 Reviews - London

Reviews of the show
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porschesrule
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by porschesrule »

As always, thanks everyone for all the wonderful reviews. It takes time to write them and they are done with such great turns of phrases. Always a pleasure to read.
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Then I saw her face
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by Then I saw her face »

porschesrule wrote: It takes time to write them and they are done with such great turns of phrases.
Not even a mere fraction of the time, you obviously spend on keeping the statistics.
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by htcpt »

dancingboy wrote:Thursday 19 November

You just know that there are some shows you have to write something about and the matinee today was one such show.

During Electricity Billy sings of having ''sparks inside of me'' and prior to the show someone put the sparks into Thomas, although it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't Thomas himself. There was so much energy put into his performance that I doubt Thomas had sufficient left to eat his tea. This was, indeed, scintillating stuff from start to finish.

Sometimes the use of words such as brilliant and superb are overstated, but this afternoon they were definitely appropriate. In the audience there were many schoolchildren ( not unusual for a Thursday matinee) who, I am sure, were suitably impressed by Thomas and maybe were able to take away some inspiration, particularly when they learned that Thomas is only 11 years of age, for he showed wonderful acting and dialogue skills, plus excellent timing in both his acting and dancing, that belied his tender years.

It has been some time since I was riveted to my seat watching such a performance and laughing so much at the multitude of facial expressions from Thomas. There seemed to be one for every part of every scene, some where I had never seen them before. It seemed to me that we were watching Thomas, not Billy, not that this affected the Billy story.

Thomas was partnered by the irrepressible Nathan as Michael, someone who always makes me laugh with his antics. Expressing Yourself, with the two of them, was excellently played out as they fought to outdo each other with the expressions on their faces. This number, quite rightly, brought a loud and prolonged ovation from the audience. Also, Nathan's splits during the Tutu scene were as good as those performed by an Olympic gymnast, so good that it brought gasps from the audience. Connie, as usual, played the stroppy Debbie to great effect and, as a bonus, there was Craig Armstrong playing George in his own inimitable style.

A while back I described Master Hazelby as Thomas the Tank Engine, especially as he always looked to be 'punching above his weight'. Today he resembled the great Mallard, a steam locomotive built, incidentally, in Doncaster ( where Thomas comes from ), as smooth as silk, pulling everyone with him, in such style, and arriving at the final destination bang on time. On a damp, chilly day in London the VPT was certainly the place to be.

To Thomas, Nathan et al, I take my hat off to you, you were all brilliant.
If Thomas and Nathan were as good as your review, they were indeed brilliant! Well done, thanks for the great review!
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by Westletonion »

Well said dancingboy. I echo your sentiments completely. This was a show par excellence, and one of the very best I have seen in ages.
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by patc »

Two extended London trips to include other events resulted in a few extra exhilarating visits to the VPT. Full reviews of each show would run to 1000 pages (each) so just a few comments.

If you were handed a paper bag that secretly contained 8 sweets consisting of 2 x Rolos, 2 x Toffees, 2 x Mars Bars and 2 x brand new never-before-seen sweets you’d probably expect that, if you made 4 dips into that bag, you’d get at least one of the new ones. Didn’t happen, though and, later, if you were told that one of the 2 x Rolos had been replaced so that 3 of the new ones were actually in the bag, you’d be even more surprised that none of the new ones made it into your hand. Work that one out :D .

On Thursday and Saturday matinees it was that extraordinary duo of Thomas and Nathan that took centre stage. Having started together as dynamite and progressed to nuclear I am struggling for a word that best describes their latest two jawdropping get-togethers. I’ll have to invent one. Thermofusionic might fit the bill.

In his review, dancingboy has excellently likened Thomas to the Mallard. This Mallard will never be seen in a siding, steamed down. Like a Great White his movement is constant, whether it just be eyes, eyebrows or facials. At the same time he has this great sense of pause. But even this pause has movement because you can see what’s coming next before it arrives. Unbelievable stuff. They should install mirrors at the back of the stage so we can see what he does during the row between the Scab and Tony over the money for the bairn.

Nathan has almost computerised, magical control of his eyes. It is uncanny, whether it be the mischievousness in the boxing hall, the sunshine and gold of Expressing and Tutu, the poignancy of the Winter scene or the loneliness of the final curtain, (in which we see his desolation multiplying even as the curtain is about to block him from view). Astonishing insight from one so young.

On Thursday and Saturday evenings Nat and Bradley were to the fore. Even now, having seen it quite a few times before, I still can’t get over the brilliance and uniqueness of Nat’s Electricity and the manner in which he draws you into his heart before a step is danced. From the moment that the MD gives him the note those soulful eyes are aimed at you. You are being locked on like a shuttle to the Space Station. Instead of him walking towards you, now it seems like you are floating, enchanted, in his direction. When he finally has you clamped, he opens the hatch. The sheer, unadulterated joy of watching this amazing spectacle (danced to what is one the most perfectly arranged and spot-on pieces of music that has ever engulfed my ears with such pleasure) is indescribable.

I have a feeling that when Bradley walked in for the audition for Michael, the casting crew just pointed him straight to the “IN” door. A fearless, stage natural if ever there was one. The one thing that, I think, all fans agree about the show is the fact that the actors are allowed to play the roles differently, no cloning allowed. Bradley is not only unique and priceless but he gives us something new every time, most notably, in the boxing scene. It’s like Countdown. You never know what letters are being drawn next but you can’t wait to see what they are.

Lucky me I got to see all three Debbies, Connie, Hollie and Beatrice strut their excellent stuff.

In the shows I watched, there was some fantastic variety amongst the adult cast as well. Deka and David Bardsley played Dad, Craig Armstrong played (an old style) George and David Bardsley a slightly revamped (on his original) George. Ruthie and Wendy delighted us with their Mrs. W’s. Rachel Bingham provided us with an hilarious over-the top RBS Receptionist. The Ensemble members are really so good at rotating the minor roles as required which adds so much more interest for us fans.

I did notice a couple of very minor changes – there are probably others I’ve missed. In He Could Be A Star, at the point when George interjects, Dad and Tony have exchanged places. Now, I’ve gone and forgotten what the other one was.

Chris Grahamson had a mammoth task to replace Kevin Wathen as Tony and he pulled it off in great style. Matthew Seadon-Young has a similar task and, by the end of the week, I thought he was just about getting there and, like Chris, will further develop the role to maximum effect as time goes by.

I can’t finish off without mentioning having watched the show from the Dress Circle last weekend. It had been quite some time since I watched it from up there but some good discounts were available. There is no question that, strictly speaking, the dancing cannot be seen 100% properly from near the front stalls. What we don’t see is much of the amazing foot to floor work. First up, the Ballet Girls in Shine were sensational. When the pink dresses came on you could see the steps as well as the leaps and bounds. Similarly, for the Girls and the Ensemble in Solidarity. The synchronisation of all those pairs of feet in the Finale was some sight. It was Brodie in action on that evening and his spin over to Mrs. Wilkinson told me that, in effect, I’ve never seen him fully head to toe in dance before. I know it sounds crazy but that’s the way it is. His delicate dancing skills and light, floating touch on the floor in Electricity were mind-blowing. Sky Arts eat your heart out. Although I had a great view of the full stage I couldn’t see the black board so, when he did the wall flip, it looked as if he had done a 360 out of nothing but space. I’m aiming to see more shows from there during next year to ensure enjoyment of all the performers at least once from this viewpoint and have already commenced this procedure. If you’ve never seen it from up there I guarantee you will be mightily impressed not only with the broader dancing view but the floor lighting as well and, certainly to my ears, the best sound.

If there are any of the old gang Forum members or lapsed showgoers out there you simply must get down to the VPT asap or you will regret missing the most amazing youngsters in action and an adult cast that is on fire from every corner. Plus the more intricately arranged music score that is so superior to that heard on the CD.

Finally, the Tube stations are gloriously decorated with posters of BETM at the moment. They are everywhere. It is such a great shame that the depiction of Billy on those posters couldn’t be any further the opposite to what Billy is in the actual show. Can you imagine a Matilda poster displaying a purple-haired ear and nose pierced teenager or McDonalds advertising a Big Mac on their posters by depicting a Pepperoni Pizza!!! Nah…….me neither.

Pat
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jtsw1
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by jtsw1 »

Saturday 21st November

A very interesting day at the Vicoria Palace Theatre. Two shows with two Billys very different to each other, two brilliant Michaels, a new Tony. I'm not very good in writing in English, but I'll have a go, because it somehow was the perfect conclusion for my "Billy-year", and I wanna share that and my thoughts on the Billys' personas with you - last year in November I had started with watching the dvd, and at the end of March I finally had managed to see the show live (with Thomas as Billy). 12 shows in London and 8.5 in Scheveningen followed. It was great to see Thomas again now eight months later, and Nat, well, he's one of the few Billys that actually are able to move me as much as I was when I saw the show for the first time. Let me explain why:

The day at the theatre started with Thomas. He plays a very "normal" Billy, a boy who isn't any good at boxing, then stumbles into ballet and is simply amazed (look at his eyes in some key-moments!) that he's actually good at it. For him it really is "just like sport" - just a different way to let out his energy, his anger and frustration, and that's why he goes for it. I think it works really well for the lad and for many fans of the show. Also, it's very close to Billy Elliot in the movie, by the way.

The great thing about the musical, however, is that the boys are allowed to shape their own Billy, and because I am a bit of a sad loner myself, I love it when there's a Billy that I can relate to on that level: a darker, "deeper", rather not-so-normal-one: Nat Sweeney's. His Billy is sad and lonely and only a little bit away from real despair. You can feel it in every second he's on stage, even in the moments when he smiles: this boy's a troubled one, and he's not only troubled by the obvious factors that happen in his family and in his village, but also by something deeper which you can't see but feel - what you can see (and feel, of course) is what happens when he finally breaks free from it: his stellar, sublime dancing!

There are many little nuances (it's all about the nuances) that illustrate the difference. Here's just one: When Mrs W. gets ready for the fan-dance, Thomas just looks at her indifferently, even picking his nose (or something like that), but Nat, his eyes start to twinkle, his mouth falls open in awe, he sees a first glimpse of the world he had missed for so long without even knowing it: the world of dance, glamour, flamboyance. There's not so much of that in a bleak coal-miners-village, isn't it? Well, here it is, the little glimpse of it, and he grabs it desperately, because he needs to. Yes, there's a neediness in him throughout his whole performance, a neediness to express himself - this boy has suffered because he felt locked in and isolated for years and couldn't express himself at all. Now he awaits the final big number eagerly, and when it's over and the audience is on their feet, he has tears in his eyes, for he has just spent two hours of building up suspension in order to release it in these three electric minutes, and he's succeeded triumphantly. Brilliant acting, I'd call that!

Some fans say he's too bleak or even appears joyless during the show. Well, I believe that it's on purpose. You see, in some scenes Nat still lacks a little bit of naturalness, which I believe is the outcome of him overthinking the role too much. So, if he thinks a lot about certain specifics he will have thought about his overall interpretation of Billy, too - and the people who direct him, the creative team, will have supported him in that and pushed him into a direction that fits his personality. I may be wrong, but I really think his acting serves a purpose: the purpose of shaping contrast in order to make Billy shine even more at the end, to celebrate the triumph of his formerly hidden flamboyance with pride. Yes, there's Express Yourself and Born to Boogie and Dream Ballet before that, but these milestones are all done in relative privacy, with his best friend, with his mentor, with himself. In Electricity, he does it for his dad, and that's what counts, only then he's at home - a home that's not only changed positively in terms of accepting him for what he is, but also very negatively in terms of becoming one of the poorest regions of the whole country. The contrast couldn't be sharper, and that's what I love about the show and why I think Nat is perfect for it.

(Oh, and Angry Dance was perfect, too, well, almost perfect - he should scream louder. But it's such a pleasure to see this dance (and all the others) done in perfect rhythmic timing.)

There's another dimension to Nat's Billy, I think: a little bit of brattiness, maybe even arrogance. You can see it in the Finale, when he makes fun of grandma, again something I haven't seen the other Billys do, but of course also when he exclaims "...to THIS CRAP?!" and in other scenes. A sad and bratty Billy: sounds pretty negative, right? Not suitable for a feel-good-show? Well, maybe, but this isn't some cheap variety, it's a coming-of-age-story with pretty dark undertones, and when you've felt misunderstood and treated unfair in your subconsciousness all your life, you actually can become bratty and arrogant pretty easily. I'm very grateful that the Billys are allowed to push the story in different directions, even in darker ones which won't please the whole audience.

This is not a question of good or bad acting, by the way, it's a question of giving Billy an individual personality, influenced by their own (remember the video on the "Pride of Birmingham Award"-website, about Nat and his brother Oliver? Nat says about his brother: "He's more boyish. I'm just... there", and he looks sad. I'm sure he has great supportive parents, but I know that kids who don't fit certain gender-stereotypes will have a harder time than "normal" ones in our society. Have that in mind when you spot tears in Nat's eyes after Electricity the next time!).

So this day showed that both Thomas and Nat clearly achieved in shaping an individual Billy. It's a matter of one's own personality which version you can identify with better. I, for one, see parts of my own story in Nat's Billy, and I love the emphasis on breaking free from hiding your true self - and on the need (!) to do so.

Other notes:
Nathan Jones had his 100th show at the matinee, and he really nailed it, making the audience laugh out very loud, so maybe that's why he felt the need to give them a thumbs-up afterwards. In the evening I was once more very impressed by Bradley Mayfield - such a tiny kid, such a huge personality and a born stage actor, extremely self-confident!

A few words on the new Tony, Matthew Seadon-Young: He wanted to play a very angry young man, and he gave everything he had, but for some reason I just couldn't feel it. Sadly, I've not seen Robbie Durham as Tony yet... been to 12 performances this year - no understudys for Tony and Dad, but 6 or 7 shows with understudys for George and Mrs Wilkinson! Sadly no Bradley Perret and only one Brodie Donougher for me, too, by the way. Whatever. I think I'm gonna take a break until spring now and I am looking forward to see how the show has evolved in May.
- A. -

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- Follow the others... marching forward to socialism!
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tankntonic
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by tankntonic »

JTSW1 said:
"I'm not very good in writing in English, but I'll have a go"

Disagree I must. what a fascinating review ! Thank you !
A bit of soul bearing included is always appreciated . Makes me even more determined to get back to Victoria as soon as I can., now that Bradley has departed every Billy on deck will be new to me.
Just a few hundred more miles on AA and I will have enough to sneak over to Heathrow.
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jtsw1
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by jtsw1 »

Thank you, tankntonic. Much appreciated.

I'm already tempted to book another weekend, but I hate dark and cold London and the travelling, and there are so many other things to do... :D
- A. -

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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by Bridget40 »

Thanks for that review JTSW1, I found it to be very interesting........

I agree with you with regard to Nat, and his take on Billy. He does play a somewhat downcast, unhappy, lonely and troubled Billy Elliot. This gloom only seems to lift when he dances, and when he does, he exudes joy! Also, to my untrained eye, Nat is an exceptional dancer.

Do some fans really find Nat's performance to be 'bleak and joyless?' In the three times I have seen him, the people that I was with, and the audience around me, were blown away by him! I think that he takes the role to an interesting place, and he should be encouraged to take it further, and make Billy an even more complex, and interesting character. I find his performance as a conflicted boy to be very effective, and also very moving. However, I do think it's a performance, and I'm not sure it's wise to speculate, or make assumptions as to whether Nat is projecting his own past troubles, or his own personality into the role. Also, I find that Nat snaps out of his Billy persona in the finale where he just seems to be having fun.

I have not yet seen Matthew Seadon-Young as Tony, but I have seen Robbie Durham perform the role a few times, and I must say....... I can't understand why he was not given the role full time!
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Re: November 2015 Reviews - London

Post by kport »

Jamie Bell presented a fairly downcast soul in the film, until he found his place in dance.

If you go back to Lee Hall's own comments, Billy is not meant to be a happy-go-lucky boy through most of the story. It is a hard slog he has to face. It sound as though Nat (and the director) might be taking the story of Billy back to its roots.

What makes BETM unique is that it takes the audience through Billy's trials and tribulations...it is not meant to be sentimental or overly optimistic, until the end. That is what makes it unique.
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