April 2009 - UK reviews

[sleepylins]

Was there anyone at the show on April 11th matinee?
If you were there can you tell me who Billy, Debbie and Michael were please.

[JohnH]

Thursday 23rd April - Matinee

Brad, Lewis & Scarlet

Dad - Joe
Tony - Tim Funnel
Gran - Ann
Mrs W - Gillian
Older Billy - Barnaby

I couldn't have asked for a better start to my long weekend; the sun blazing down and a very full VPT. I think the sun had an effect on the cast today as they all seemed to put a little bit extra energy into their performances today.

We had a slight technical hitch at the start of the show as poor Ann's microphone refused to work for quite a while during the miners kitchen scene. Luckily it was sorted before her famous 'two burnt slices of fired bread line'.

It was good to see Tim back in the roll of Tony; it's always nice to see the understudies getting a chance to shine. Another thing I like about this show.

It seemed that Brad and Lewis where having a wee 'in' joke at the start of Express as Brad was trying hard to suppress a giggle. As Lewis put the handbag on he blew Brad a kiss which did the trick and Brad allowed himself a quick giggle. Lewis also took the opportunity to smear the lipstick over Brad’s mouth giving him something similar to a clowns smiley mouth. Unfortunately Brad wiped most of this off at the mirror.

Scarlet was extra feisty today and really played up during the scene where Mrs W was trying to explain the pirouette to the ballet girls. Her line during the later toilet scene was hilarious, with Scarlet using the lolli-pop to great effect and the look on Brad's face was priceless. I especially like the way Brad takes a step back and looks Debbie up & down during this scene.

Like I said earlier, the cast seemed to be full of energy today and no-where was this more evident than in Brad's Electricity! This was one of the best performances of Electricity I've ever seen Brad do. I can only think of one way to relay to you how good it was today - Brad received a standing ovation at the end of it, and rightly deserved it was! The look on his face at this was well worth the price of the ticket alone.

Brad received a further standing ovation as he came forward at the end of the show for his solo bow, as did the whole cast at the end of the finale.

I left the matinee with a smile on my face and a spring in my step!

[patc]

Thanks, John, for keeping us up to speed on Thursday's matinee. It felt strange not to be there this week

Pat

[sfo]

great reviews everyone, next month i get my to write my next review

[aimeewill_2002]

Brad was on fire tonight his angry dance was sooo angry i thought he would break the hut. The thing that made this performance so special for me is the ending as Brad portayed such a vulnerable Billy crying untill the final goodbye from Michael well done Brad you are truely an amazing Billy

[patc]

Thursday Matinee 30th April

Tom, George, Megan
Stephanie Putson as Mrs. W
Sorrelle Marsh as Dead Mum
Shaun Walters as Older Billy

Well, after all the glitz and glamour of Broadway last week it was back to dear ol' Victoria and yet another fantastic show.
The minute Tom walked through the door I knew I was in trouble - having only one hanky. The other fifteen were at home still drying out since my last Tom show. As things turned out 16 wouldn't have been enough anyway but more of that anon.

Striding purposefully onto the stage Tom let rip and the show just zipped along with hardly time to draw breath. This Billy can take anything in his stride. Even Dad's angry bursting in on his ballet lesson didn't really faze him. He let Dad know exactly what he thought of him. The ballet girls cringed in shock. The high jinks continued through the Toilet scene with Mrs. W, at least 'til close to the end when he caused her to walk out and when you began to sense, perhaps, a little vulnerability.
As soon as George Maycock arrived for Expressing all was well again. "Arrived" is hardly the right word. "Burst onto the scene" is much more appropriate. Despite Tom's screeching "F.. 'ell" George just took over and propelled Billy into his fantasy world. I checked the records and, surprisingly, it has been nearly three months since these two were on stage together on Thursday Matinee. What a combo. What fun they had. Both of them are brilliant tappers and the combination of tapping feet and the beat of the music was like highly lubricated machinery in action with nothing out of place. The scene finished with George, rightly, milking the applause at the side of the stage.

But it is in The Letter that the absence of hankies in your pocket becomes a problem. Tom's hearfelt sobbing brings out all your paternal instincts. I had a quick peek around me and everyone was in floods even the men who, normally, just pretend not to be moved. I was glad to see I wasn't the only one being turned into a right softie. Pure manipulation, of course, but I love it. The hankies came out in droves, some discreetly, when it was over and Mr. B came bursting through the door.

The pre Angry Dance scene was enough to get Tom up and running and raging mad again resulting in a powerful, pulsating, theatre-throbbing, stage-floor destroying Dance. One of the floor tiles was thrown at one riot shield with such venom that the policeman holding it must have felt his last hour had come.

After the almost ever-present ticket no. 88 had been pulled from the bucket and Maggie Thatcher had been suitably berated The Winter Scene began. This is where more hankies were required. Whilst always a touching scene, for some reason I had tears in my eyes at this today. The reason was George. It was the way he looked at Billy and spoke in such an endearing voice and a so-plaintiff and gentle "you won't tell anyone, will ya?" If this was a film it would have required 20 takes. George did it in one. Then, all was forgotten as Billy produced the tutu, George got his opportunity to "do some ballet" and did an agonising splits (ouch!!!) followed by a classically delivered Nutcracker.

Tom and Shaun then gave us a beautifully danced Swan Lake that ended in tumultuous applause.

Tom seems to add something new to his Electricity every time we see him and today he produced another all-action multi-dance combination with every limb appearing to move powerfully and gracefully in four different directions all at the one time throughout, a sight to behold and ending in the wall flip and, maybe, just a little gentile smile

The hankies story didn't end there. Tom bled us practically dry in the Goodbye scene with Mrs. W and, finally, a gentle, sobbing Letter Reprise. The letter was really scrumpled and it took ages to come out of his jean's pocket and be opened up but he got there with a milli-second to spare. But there was more to come in the final goodbyes. As the ashen-faced Tom disappeared up the aisle George's famous head-slightly-bowed heartbreaking stare as the curtain dropped left us bereft.

I often wonder if these great multi-talented young performers are old enough to fully understand the enjoyment and entertainment they bring to thousands of people every week. I sure hope so. It is such a joy to have watched them grow into and develop their roles over the past months. Their hard work is there for all to plainly see. And the chiefs at M&S should get down on their knees and thank them profusely for the huge increase in hanky sales and that goes for the Men's Department as well.

BTW, nothing changed at the matinee. Mr Wilkinson still used to be an alcoholic but now he's a deputy manager!

The attendance was not quite as big as usual. Very unusually, B14 Stalls was empty as was C15 until someone moved into it for a better view after the show began. Did anyone find out yet which Agency got Row C? Row J left was not full either but some seats in K seemed to have double bookings and caused a bit of confusion.


Pat

[Billy Whiz]

A patc review - it must be Friday.

Thanks Pat for another of your great reviews. I don't know how you manage to write such a different review every week? Thankfully you do though. Keep up the good work.

[aimeewill_2002]

Excellent review Pat

[Lina]

I love to read the reviews! Thank you