March 2016 Reviews - London

Reviews of the show
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tzwicky
George
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March 21st return to a very excellent Brodie!

Post by tzwicky »

This is a quickie. As per my usual M.O., I have flown in from Los Angeles (and boy are my arms sore) after a full Sunday, arrived just before 2 PM on Monday and have started writing this brief string of observations at 11:15 PM. So I've been awake about 30 hours. Oh and bear with me as I have to get used to the EU keyboard at my B&B like always.

Oh man, this doesn't always happen at a BillyThon but when it does, the show is new all over again, even after 200 iterations of it that I've witnessed since October 2005.

I was last in town in November and December, so that's about 3 months ago. Back then, Brodie was solid, very solid in his Billy. Nothing not to like.

But tonight, three months on, he has grown both in stature, and in stamina, and in acro, and in voice. He is the real deal.

I was just bowled over by his show tonight. After all these years I find things to enjoy when there are tiny Billys and when there are taller Billys.

Brodie is in the Taller Billy category in that he's "quite" a bit taller than when last I saw him. Several inches at least. He has sculpted the Billy role around him and it's freaking bliss, I gotta tell ya. So this is why so many of us have been to see BETM "too many times."

His voice tonight was crystal clear. You'd think that with the growth spurt there might be a tremble here or there with his voice, but I never heard one. He was very smooth, and very nuanced. Yeah, I'm gushing. Excuse please.

Way back in the day I would often mention that this or that Billy "commanded the entire stage." So it was tonight when Brodie just enveloped the whole stage and owned it. Very fitting that he's going out (along with the VPT) at top form.

Brightening up the stage as always was a very brilliant Bradley. I have a soft spot for redheads it cannot be denied. Bradley with his round cheeks (and the corresponding assortment of expressions he works into every show) and his willingness to throw himself into every situation just makes him a solid standout in the Michael role.

For a Monday night the audience was full tilt wild for this show. The young woman behind me worked herself into a lather and by the second half was just this side of ready for the looney wagon. "Gales of laughter" exploded from the audience constantly, especially a group of manly men down the aisle from me who were hysterical at Deka's antics in front of the safety curtain with the Glaswegian dancer.

So tonight was another standout performance among hundreds before.

I have, I suspect, a chance to see Brodie at least two or three mores times before I head back to the US of A. Were my time here not so packed with other shows and things going on, I'd book another slew of BETMs just for the chance to see Brodie a few more times.

Master Brodie is brilliant. If you've been waiting to jam yourself into a show before April 9th, now is that time for so many reasons. And Brodie deserves another look from you. Y'all will not be disappointed.

tzwicky
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patc
Mrs Wilkinson
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Re: March 2016 Reviews - London

Post by patc »

I most certainly concur with tzwicky’s assessment of Monday night’s show commanded by Brodie. I would just add that Connie gave her usual top-o’-the-range Debbie another famous twirl. There is just something about that smile that grabs you. If every mischievous teenager were to have that attitude instead of surliness they’d get away with absolute murder. As for Bradley? more anon.


Tuesday 22nd March

I like those “How it’s Made” series on TV. Although machines, robots and computers have done away with jobs it is, nevertheless, fascinating to watch a precision thingy-making machine in action and see how a production line reaches the end with the thingy all shiny and new. One of my favourite ops is the bottle filling one where someone presses a button and a line of bottles begins to move, quite quickly. They arrive at a point where the conveyor becomes circular, each bottle is filled with a liquid from above, is moved around the circle to where a cap is put on and, finally, a label is stuck on from where it proceeds to the end of the line. The constant precision spinning of the bottles around the process is quite rivetting.

When Nat stood momentarily in front of the miners and coppers in Solidarity last night and then Mrs. W gave the word, it was as if he pressed a button and spun across the stage with a stunning series of precision like graceful spins, each one (not less than or more than) but 100% equal to the other and all spinning in even time. It was impossible for the human eye to count them but we can do a rough calculation. I don’t know the width of the stage at the VPT but we do know that 13 coppers can stand together across most of it. If each copper uses, say, 2.5 feet of space each on average that’s 32 feet. At a spin approx every foot and a half that equals 21 spins. However accurate or inaccurate that this is it was just sensational to see.

Those dazzling feet were to be seen in full motion again in Electricity. Starting as usual with those powerful and penetrating eyes casting their net to draw you deep into his soul, followed by the captivating lyrics of explanation and, finally, a ballet Electricity of such purity, delicacy, poise and balance danced with such confidence and supreme skill. This miracle of mesmerising, magical movement was brought to a conclusion with the usual combination of graceful arms aloft and with a series of incredible fast increasing spins that really and truly defy description. I’ve seen Nat do this so many times before but it still leaves me emotionally exhausted and high above in the clouds every time. I hope someone is taping this for posterity.

In between and before and after Nat endeared us with his well-thought-out and finely paced Billy interpretation replete with heartrending Letter and Dream Ballet perfecto with James. He seemed to be having enormous fun with Bradley in their scenes together. Smiles were everywhere and the audience loved it. Bradley is a one-off. An entertainer with unique ideas and facials as to how to get audiences laughing - and laughing. So much so that his moving rendition of devastation at the final curtain scene brought an understanding and respectful silence until he was out of view.

Another one having fun last night was Hollie and her two main scenes with Billy (“me Mam’s Dead” and the Toilet) that require great timing for full effect were expertly acted and paced. Nat didn’t lose a second in declining the offer which brought loud laughter as Hollie strode off in utter disgust. I expect there would have been some serious disruption in the Wilkinson household that evening.

The Dinnington girls were blindingly brilliant in all they had to do. The pink dress dance section is still my favourite with all that co-ordination, shouting and all-action movement that gets your own feet tapping. Thankfully, I have still two more goes before the closure up in the DC from where their work is best viewed if you want to see all the required intricacies. It’s always a pleasure to be able to congratulate the girls personally as they depart the theatre so they know just how much they are appreciated.

I thoroughly enjoyed Wendy’s Mrs. W that I hadn’t seen in quite a while. The Esquire joke seems to have had a new lease of life in recent shows I’ve seen. The very big audiences are bringing such atmosphere into the theatre and becoming involved throughout. The clapo-meter is going off the scale and the cast are rising brilliantly to the occasion.

Never having been around a show closure before I have to admit I wondered at the time if things might just fade away a bit as the end nears. On the contrary, it has gone the other way. The clock may be counting down but the energy and commitment of everyone involved in the show is boiling over.

Pat
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jtsw1
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Re: March 2016 Reviews - London

Post by jtsw1 »

Well, I'm not too keen on writing another long review, but I have to say at least something about my last trip to the VPT:

- Again it was Thomas! He's been my first London Billy (almost exactly one year ago) and now he's been my last. And how much he has grown and improved his performance! The rough diamond he'd been back then has truly started shining.

- Ruthie has so much fun right now, she adds extra words each performance and gives everything she has. Clearly the time of her life, it's great to see!

- Yesterday's Small Boy (don't know his name) took the role to new heights with the pokerface of a pro and his "w**ker" spat out with humour as dry as french red wine. Also he entered the stage before the final curtain with that face again and gave the coolest thumbs-up to the audience and only then started smiling. Hilarious!

- Ben Redfern gave Billy and his dad the finger after "He could be a star"... :D

- I was glad to see Ben as Michael for the first (and last) time yesterday. Before that I had a "Bradleython" - Bradley four shows in a row! Don't get me wrong, Bradley is one of the best, but seeing how exhausted he was after the third show I actually felt sorry for him thursday matinee... and Ben added some new things to the role (like singing in front of the wardrobe), has a unique approach to the comedy-parts. Never seen such a brutal bread-plate-fight like that with Thomas yesterday! And when it comes to Michael's darker parts, he had such a honest longing in his eyes, it was truly heartbreaking. I'm glad I didn't miss him.

- Matthew Seadon-Young is so enthusiastic about his role, it's a shame he can't play it longer. He's a brilliant Tony, and he has a great chemistry with the Billys. When he lifts them up and throws them around, you can't help but worry about them - and so did Nat on Tuesday - when Matthew finally let go of him he mouthed, eyes wide open, "Oh my gosh!!", and he really meant it! :D

- For the tuesday-show I feel the need to say something about Nat: His chemistry with Bradley and Hollie was something special! They had so much fun on stage it was like seeing them goofing around and forgetting all about the cheering and awestruck crowd in front of them. Nat even fell out of character briefly during Solidarity, but he managed to get back and delivered a very strong performance overall. Less desperate and "dark" than last time I've seen him, but still very special. His dancing got even better, and in the Finale he let it all go with many hilarious face-expressions (even during the charlift). A new star is born, for sure! I'm looking forward to follow his career.

- Oh, and I've seen Euan for the first (and last) time, too. That was a surprise! I didn't expect him to be so mature already when it comes to acting and dancing. Just brilliant! It's a shame the show has to end, the child-cast is just perfect right now. Well, at least they leave on a high.

Now, let's see how the tour evolves.
- A. -

- What do I do??
- Follow the others... marching forward to socialism!
Flyin high
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Re: March 2016 Reviews - London

Post by Flyin high »

Wed 24th March

I know that each and every show is brilliant, but I felt like I witnessed a real cracker on Wednesday. The energy was high, the whole cast was on fire and the audience was just loving it.

Euan Garrett is an absolute superstar. I don't know if a break of nearly 2 weeks off the cast board gave him an extra surge of energy, or whether he always has that much stamina, but his dynamism just blew me away. In Angry Dance I'm sure he did quite a few extra and super fast rounds of the repetitive moments right at the end of the number before falling to the floor. And the spins at the end of Electricity were so fast and furious that I was convinced he wouldn't manage the wall flip. The audience gasped when of course he did. And the ovation and clapping after lasted for as long as I've ever seen it. He plays a sweet, innocent and vulnerable Billy. And as jtsw1 said, his acting is extremely good already.

This was my first time seeing anyone other than Deka playing Dad. I was really interested to see another take on the role. David Bardsley was great and I enjoyed seeing how he injected his own style and humour into the part - quite different to Deka (less emotional and angry, and definitely less crotch grabbing) but just as effective.

It was also my first time seeing Bradley as Michael. A natural comedian, born to be on stage and him and Euan had very strong chemistry together. I am always amazed by the confidence that these kids ooze on stage in front of an audience of thousands, and was particularly impressed by small boy (not sure who played him) who delivered all his lines with utter clarity and conviction!

Hollie was Debbie and has grown in confidence since I last saw her. She really knows how to own the stage and make the most of every single line. She has added in extra expression, intonation and facial expressions which work so well to portray a very moody pre-teen! Sitting in the dress circle this time, I finally saw the 2-fingers bit from Hollie (during Solidarity I think?) that I've never been able to see before on the dvd or from the stalls!

I've enjoyed seeing Wendy Somerville as Mrs W for my last few trips, but was glad to get Ruthie again before the show closure. She has the biggest smile on her face during Shine and Born to Boogie. It seems to be a really genuine smile as well as a twinkle in her eye. You can tell how much she's loving it and yes, she's definitely throwing in the odd extra line and different ways of saying things to keep everyone on their toes! I can see how much she cares for the Billys through her interactions with them on stage.

Gillian Elsa has played Grandma in every show I've seen, but she seemed even more brilliant and funny on Wednesday. She's really having a ball in her song and I think it's really her that gets the very first laugh. She never fails to get the audience going and warmed up in the kitchen scene, so they are primed and ready to go as the show builds and builds from there.

There were shoes flying everywhere on Wed, with Bradley losing one of his in the boxing scene (when George pulls him along the floor) and then Hollie losing a tap shoe half way through Shine and then holding it in one hand to the end! Also Bradley was having whistle issues during Express. But these kids take everything in their stride and get on with the show like the complete pros they are!

I left the theatre feeling happy and joyful after Wednesday's show. Thanks to the whole cast and especially to the brilliant Euan for another fab night at the VPT!
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jmh2014
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Re: March 2016 Reviews - London

Post by jmh2014 »

Friday & Saturday

3 Billys - Euan, Nat & Thomas
2 Michaels - Bradley & Nathan
2 Debbie's - Hollie & Beatrice
2 Small Boys - Jack & George N
1 Tall Boy - Noah
1 Alternate - Wendy Summerville for Mrs W on Saturday

A few observations:

Friday was the first show for a very long time that the entire principal adult cast were present.

With no Ruthie on Saturday, the "hugging battle" with Thomas was on hold. Instead he literally launched himself into Wendy's arms.

The AD hutch was not working for Nat in Saturday's Matinee. Instead he hid stage left by the speakers and flinched when the milk crate crashed into the Police shield.

Howard added an extra twist to the boxing scene - resting his foot on George as he does his push ups and shouts.

The ballet girls have added even more shouts during their routines, which really have to be seen from the DC to appreciate the sheer talent they all possess.

Thomas's Angry Dance was full of more rage than before and left him exhausted on the floor for a good time before he finally got up.

Euan's tutu throw went straight up and allowed him to catch it and then fling it at Bradley. Something that amused both of them.
patc wrote:When Nat stood momentarily in front of the miners and coppers in Solidarity last night and then Mrs. W gave the word, it was as if he pressed a button and spun across the stage with a stunning series of precision like graceful spins, each one (not less than or more than) but 100% equal to the other and all spinning in even time. It was impossible for the human eye to count them but we can do a rough calculation. I don’t know the width of the stage at the VPT but we do know that 13 coppers can stand together across most of it. If each copper uses, say, 2.5 feet of space each on average that’s 32 feet. At a spin approx every foot and a half that equals 21 spins. However accurate or inaccurate that this is it was just sensational to see.Pat
I tried, but lost count at about 20.

Small boy Jack sings his heart out whilst on top of Big Davey's shoulders.

Howard's interaction with Michael during the boxing scene is always a highlight and never the same.

Express with Nat & Nathan was stunning - both of them having fun and drawing the audience right into the middle of it.

3 packed audiences were treated to 3 outstanding shows, but the Saturday Matinee had the added bonus of watching Nat's stunningly sensationally mesmeric Electricity. The standing ovation was richly deserved.

Far from coasting to the end, everyone's upping their game, and they all seem to enjoying every moment. There may only be two weeks left, but I have a feeling that the reaming shows will be very special.
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patc
Mrs Wilkinson
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Re: March 2016 Reviews - London

Post by patc »

Wed 30th March: Thomas

Thurs 31st March Mat: Brodie

Thurs 31st March Eve: Nat

All has already been said in previous reviews. All the adjectives have been used. There is nothing more to say…………other than UNBELIEVABLE, MAGNIFICENT and THANKS.

Some observations:

In the usual clinch with Thomas, Ruthie was lifted off her feet. (Dynamo was not present at the VPT)

Somehow, the Letter envelope managed to survive unscathed in its encounters with Brodie and Ruthie.

Deka took another nasty-looking tumble in the Pit scene.

Charlotte Riby was back in the Ensemble after a long absence and looking in great form!

Robbie Durham was a brilliant stand-in as Tony for both Thursday shows.

The drumbeat in the three Electricity’s has never sounded better. Were I a percussionist I would kill to perform it.

On Wed. as the Miners were going back down the liftshaft, the top back set of powerful spotlights remained fully on until just as the men disappeared from view.

The house mouse has not been seen for a long time and is believed to have taken up residence in temporary accommodation at Wicked for the duration of the refurbishment. He may well be the only VPT legend missing from Billy Whiz’ photo countdown.

Pat
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Bridget40
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Re: March 2016 Reviews - London

Post by Bridget40 »

jmh2014 wrote: 3 packed audiences were treated to 3 outstanding shows, but the Saturday Matinee had the added bonus of watching Nat's stunningly sensationally mesmeric Electricity. The standing ovation was richly deserved.
So glad I got to see Nat at least one last time on Thursday before it all ends. Your description of his Electricity is a fitting one, and what I witnessed last night was truly a graceful, beautiful thing to watch. It nearly had an old cynic like me in tears. In truth, it did! What a dancer he is, and what a shame that his Electricity has not been caught on camera professionally. Surely Nat has a very bright future in dance ahead of him if he wants it?
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jmh2014
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Re: March 2016 Reviews - London

Post by jmh2014 »

Friday


Thomas and Nathan provided the highlight of the show with their Express. Never has there been do many adlibs littered throughout the routine. Almost like they were trying to outdo each other.

The hug with Ruthie would be a draw this time, but Thomas almost managed grab the letter for a second time.

Full cast again and they all contributed to another outstanding 3 hours entertainment.
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