August 2013 Reviews - London

[patc]

Thursday 1st August

Redmand/Joe/Millie

Tony: Matthew Dale
Mrs W: Helen French
Grandma: Gillian Elisa
Older Billy: Lee Hoy

I can never remember it being as hot as this in London. You could have fried the full English in five minutes on any metal surface you could find. The relief of getting inside the VPT with its air conditioning was immense.

For my third show running it was Redmand’s name on the Board and so the forecast for the afternoon was sunny and bright.

Redmand’s classy Billy performance was out of this world. You couldn’t ask for any more. The sheer enjoyment of being there to witness it is beyond description. From his truly heartrending Letter through Angry Dance, Dream Ballet (with Lee Hoy) and the exquisite ballet Electricity it was one moment of excellence after another and THAT joyous smile of his after Electricity and at the end was, as Westletonion said afterwards, worth the price of a ticket all by itself.

Despite the air conditioning it must still be exhausting for any of the Billys to perform in this weather but their fitness levels appear to be second to none as witnessed by Redmand merely strolling off the stage after what was a thundering Angry Dance that would have left most people begging for six month’s convalescence.

Earlier on we had a fantastic Boxing scene with the smiling Joe Massey getting an absolute corker in on Redmand who went down like a ton of bricks. Howard Crossley is brilliantly funny as George and he, himself, had to take another (lower-down) corker from the (still-smiling) same Joe who seemed to be hell-bent on causing maximum damage. Even Muhammad Ali would have been a worried man in the ring.

If there has been a better Expressing then I haven’t seen it. If you are ever having a late night party and the power goes off just give Joe Massey a call. His mere presence will light up your venue. Once he produces that infectious, impish smile there is no stopping him and you are completely won over. Even the dresses seemed to be bowing down to his comical genius.

My grateful thanks to all concerned for another uplifting and inspirational afternoon.

PS the accordion is back in Deep Into The Ground courtesy of Simon Ray.

Pat

[Billy Whiz]

PS the accordion is back in Deep Into The Ground courtesy of Simon Ray.

That is excellent news Pat.

Thank you for the first review of August.

Keep 'em coming folks

[dancingboy]

Tuesday 6 August

I am well aware that Harrison likes his football. When he is/was playing I could imagine him being an attacking midfielder, strong in the tackle and maybe with an eye for a goal or two. Of one thing I am sure and that is his performance on the pitch would have been full of energy for the whole ninety minutes.
Harrison's holiday from the show meant he had not performed since the 13 July, but did he show any signs of nerves or rustiness? Never. From the outset he was bang in form and soon lit up the stage with a typical Harrison performance, full of effervescence, energy and a passion for the part. You would never had known he had been away.
Harrison's trademark Angry Dance, so fast and furious, was excruciatingly loud, especially from row B, where I was sitting. It was, nonetheless, wonderfully executed. We in the audience certainly enjoyed that, but as if that wasn't enough we enjoyed Electricity even more. Once again, it was the speed at which Harrison performed his street/acro version that simply took my breath away. I am sure there were a couple of new acrobatic moves in this too. Once this had finished Harrison stood, arms extended, eyes closed, puffing out his cheeks. You could tell how much this meant to him and how pleased he was with himself. The audience? They clapped, cheered and roared. Anything less would have been disrespectful.
With Helen French (Mrs Wilkinson), Thomas Moore (Michael) and Dayna Dixon ( Debbie) this was another show rich with entertainment, so congratulations to one and all for that.
Harrison was back though. With a vengeance and with energy to spare.

[patc]

Thursday Matinee 8th August

Tade/Zach/Demi

Dad: David B
Grandma: Gillian
Mr. B: Simon Ray was replaced by David Muscat for B2B and rest of show.

I’ll cut straight to the chase.

On the 29th May 1953 Hillary and Tenzing hit the summit of Everest.
On the 21st July 1969 Man set foot on the Moon for the first time.
On the 8th August 2013 Tade Biesinger danced a most amazing, scintillating, eloquent, stunning ballet Electricity at the VPT.

There are no prizes for guessing which of these events thrilled me most of all. I cannot even begin to find the words to describe it. When it was over, even Tade’s disbelieving expression indicated that he hadn’t fully realised what he had just done as wave after wave of applause thundered back and forth like the Atlantic breakers that pound the West Coast of Ireland in a Force 10 storm. It was one of those great emotional moments that stay with you forever. The sheer, pure enjoyment of this five minutes of magic was the highlight of yet another incredibly entertaining show led by this elegant and multi-talented boy from Utah where, I feel sure, Bear will have picked up the vibes from afar and barked appropriately. I feel privileged to have been witness to it.

Pat

[Barry Appleby]

THURSDAY 8th AUGUST - MATINEE

Firstly, glad to hear John, that Harrison was back after his break, firing on all cylinders, yes I'd like to see him play soccer as well, I bet he puts plenty of effort in that, but I hope he's dropped Redmand a "bob or two" for his sturdy work, at holding the fort while he was away.
Lucky enough to be down at the same show as Pat, Tade was excellent! througout and finished off with the stunning Electricity, it was just perfect. Come on U.S.A look after this lad when he returns home, he's so talented, must say what has he got for lungs, what screams etc of temper in Angry Dance.
Zach, was again magic as Michael, I love his antics behind the back of George in the Boxing Scene Howard is a great! George, a typical coach in my eyes. Demi as I said last time, what a gem as Debbie, she's so perky.
Yes, two Mr Braithwaites, wish my hair would grow as quick as that, Simon I hope that you are O.K, I wish you well. A "Big Thanks Again" to all the cast and stage staff, for another great show, plenty to savour while having our, after show meal, washed down with an ice cool lager, good memories on my train journey home, I believe that man from Dublin gets home before me.

Barry's corny gag - One of my old school mates drank a bottle of varnish, Oh! he had a horrible death, but I tell you what he ended up with a fine finish.

[Westletonion]

A truly fantastic performance by Tade yesterday afternoon. I hadn't seen him for a long while. His enormous charisma and showmanship delighted the large holiday audience and it was clear that he was revelling in the sheer delight of the occasion. The whole cast were on great form, and a very special mention to the magnificent ballet girls.

[dancingboy]

Saturday 10 August

HD and TB or not TB

A double bill of BETM for me this Saturday. As we all know no two Billy shows are the same and the contrasting styles of Harrison Dowzell and Tade Biesinger bore this out very well. At the matinee Master Dowzell and Master Massey stole the show. As usual, Joe used all his experience to extract laughs in the Boxing scene and in Expressing Yourself, although, it is probably true to say that it is difficult to stop Joe laughing, regardless. However, Joe was serious when he had to be in the Winter scene and there were many 'aarhs' from the audience when he gave Harrison the peck on the cheek. ( I am glad to say no wolf whistles this week). More fun followed though with Joe in his tutu and the 'splits' he did brought tears to many eyes, whilst Joe bided his time, and waited for absolute quiet before delivering his 'Nutcracker' line. The audience laughed and applauded.
Harrison carried on where he left off on Tuesday, on top form and giving a high quality performance, full of vibrancy and action. His fast-moving acro Electricity was again the highlight. I am sure there was another new move in this number, a horizontal jump with twist that had the audience gasping. A standing ovation from many in the audience told Harrison what they thought.

As if that wasn't enough, I then had to 'endure' almost three hours of Master Biesinger. What a pleasure that turned out to be. Tade's Billy is full of timidity, particularly in the early stages and he uses his exaggerated facial expressions and eye movements to great effect. His singing in The Letter scene and in Electricity was very good. It is about six months since Tade began his stint here and in that time I have seen him grow in stature and in strength which, in turn, has meant his dancing has gone from strength to strength too. This was very evident in a powerful Ballet Electricity , which ended with a multitude of spins and pirouettes, fully deserving of the prolonged ovation he received from the audience.
Tade was aided and abetted by Zach Atkinson as Michael. Zach, to me, has a natural talent for making people laugh and he, too, brings his many facial expressions to the character.

A day, in truth, which didn't bring any surprises, for the performances from two thirteen year olds from diverse areas as Nottingham and Utah were just what I expected. Two players who are, indeed, already in the Premier League. Congratulations to both Harrison and Tade for their parts in an excellent day's entertainment. Although we must not forget the support from the Ensemble and those wonderful Ballet Girls.

[Billy Whiz]

Thanks everybody for the terrific reviews.

They are greatly appreciated by me, and I'm sure many other members as well.

[angelenroute]

Thanks everybody for the terrific reviews.

They are greatly appreciated by me, and I'm sure many other members as well.

I too!

[patc]

Thursday 15th August - all day

Matinee: Harrison/Thomas/Dayna

Evening: Redmand/Joe/Millie.

Dad: David B
Grandma: Gillian
Dead Mum: Claudia Bradley
Older Billy: Edmund Shaw

As I burn the midnight oil in a hotel room in Central London the peace and quiet is in stark contrast to the events at the VPT earlier in the day. It must be like this when monks retire to their cloisters after the heavy Easter Sunday hymn schedules. A time to reflect.

If Billys and Michaels were food and I was required by the medicos to have a balanced diet then I would be in trouble as, over the past while, there has not been a fair shareout of vitamins. The balance was (almost) restored in the matinee when the elusive Harrison and Thomas Moore were delivered on the same plate in monstrous helpings. Man v Food Nation eat your heart out (to coin a phrase).

The one thing you can say for sure about the Billys and Michaels is that they are not like peas in a pod - more like the classic dishes in the Savoy (not that I've ever stayed or eaten at the Savoy). Harrison has been off duty for a while and he set out in the matinee to make up for lost time - BIG TIME. Fully refreshed and sporting a new haircut (looks like all the Billys have visited their barbers this past week or so) he was sprightly and full of beans. His performance was topped off with a sensational street style Electricity full of inventiveness, skill and incredible athleticism.

Thomas Moore gave the performance of his life. It was like a Masterchef series where the chef has been delivering classic after classic but then ups the ante with an unbelievable dish to die for. I lapped it up. Nothing was left on the plate. As the curtain came down he had drained every last drop from my tear ducts.

Pardon me while I take a short break (no, not with a kit-kat) but with a little Volvic with a touch of Strawberry. BTW, with the closure of so many cafes in the station it is hard to get into Prezzos these days. I was looking forward to the salmon but all tables were full. We should have gone to Specsavers, keefy but Barry wasn't down to show us the way, LOL . I'm not willing to admit to where we ended up .

Second helpings were provided for the evening show. Classy Redmand and smilin' Joe brought their ingredients along and mixed them appropriately to produce their classic dishes. The sauces and flavours were different but every bit as tasty as the afternoon fare. Redmand's beautifully danced ballet Electricity was the standout. After more than three years I suppose many of you have a mental picture permanently in your mind of Joe's magical Expressing so I need say no more.

I have no idea how Redmand and Joe kept a straight face in the Winter (Kiss) scene. Some little one in the audience behind emitted his/her own definitive opinion on this to the merriment of the entire audience. Priceless.

David, Anna-Jane, Kevin, Gillian, Howard, Simon Ray, Claudia sparkled like wine.

Simon Ray appeared to have a different "topping" for each show and, as always, had everyone convulsed.

Dayna and Millie supplied expert roughage with a touch of class.

The magnificent Ballet Girls were the cherries on the cake as well as putting their Billys through the mixer.

I hadn't seen Edmund Shaw as Older Billy before. He was brilliant with both Billys on a busy day for him as he also had to act the Scottish Ballet Dancer.

Tall Boy Jude Loseby certainly leaves you with your heart in your mouth when he gets done by Billy at the RBS. It is a unique style.

John's (Dancingboy) comment at 10.30pm seemed very appropriate to me. Where did those 6 hours go to? Time always passes quickly when you're enjoying yourself and that we were. It was yet another absolutely stunning and compelling day at a stunning and compelling show.

The theatre was as good as full for both shows. Judging by the reaction throughout and the standing ovations I think it would be true to say that everyone had a great time. Approx. 3,000 saw the shows and will report back to their friends - so get in early for your next tickets.

Pat