November 2013 Reviews - London

[Billy Whiz]

Thank you for the reviews and photos. They are all great.

Here are a few more photos from Saturday's leavers' show.

[Katwoman]

Saturday, 9th November (evening)

I support a football team. If it is physically and financially possible for me to go to matches, I'm there, home and away. There have been occasions when work and family commitments have prevented me from going, but otherwise I'm there. It's never a case of "It's raining and cold - I can't be bothered". I go - it's what I do. There are no stars and no glory -well, just a little bit and not very often. But on Saturday evening, for the first time ever, I was unfaithful to my team.

With "Billy Elliot the Musical".

When I saw that it was Harrison's last night, I wanted to go. From our first sight of him at the West End launch last year, through four performances this year, he has been an outstanding Billy. Could he top what we had previously seen? Of course he could! He absolutely nailed it, reducing me and the audience at certain points to complete delirium and mayhem. I have never seen or participated in so many standing ovations, with the highlight of highlights being "Electricity". This is a showstopper anyway, but Saturday's version was truly magnificent. The ovation went on for so long that Harrison eventually dropped his final pose and just said "thank you".

He was wonderfully supported by the rest of the cast, who raised the levels to further heights. Joe Massey's final performance was both touching and hilarious, Anna-Jane Casey was everything from cynical to heartbreaking, and the team of ballet girls, which I was seeing for the first time, looked as if they had been in the show for ages.

Before the show we had great fun spotting ex-Billys and Michaels in the auditorium, and my sister got her fix of Deka Walmsley too! Our evening was completed by the wonderful people sitting around us. The lady in her 80s seeing the show for the first time, the two American ladies who were so excited at the interval and even more so at the end, and the American sitting next to me who had been on business in Europe but had returned to see Elliott on Friday and Saturday night's show. I have wondered since if he is a forum member, because something he said about Elliot is echoed almost verbatim in Elliott's strand. Or is my imagination running away with me?

AND, we were sitting on the same row as Harrison's family and Harris Beattie!

So, we had a wonderful night. In my seventeen shows, I have seen a couple of other amazing last nights, those of Dean-Charles Chapman and Adam Vesperman, but last night was the pinnacle. I really haven't got the words.

Many thanks to all concerned - to Harrison, whose performances will live long in my memory, to the rest of the cast, who were outstanding, to the audience, which was the best I have ever been in. I would also like to thank the reviewers and photographers who will help to preserve the memories.

And my team? They got an FA Cup replay, but only just!

[Lola]

Thank you guys all so much for the reviews and photos, they are all awesome and I almost feel like I was there.
Almost...but there are tears in my eyes anyway.

I saw Joe Massey perform as Michael in August 2011. It was the second and til today last performance I attended.
Even though there were many stand-out moments and the whole show was just frickin fantastic, there is this one moment I still see in front of my inner eye:
The moment when Michael has said goodbye to his friend and just stands there and watchs him leave forever. This moment, just Joe on the stage and this expression on his face that broke my heart and that I remember as if it was yesterday and not 2.5 years ago that I saw it. For me it was the most heart-wrenching moment of the show and pure acting gold. Will remember this forever.

[Sinatra]

Wednesday 13th November Evening

Bradley Perret/Freddie Butterfield/?

I was lucky enough to attend the debut of Bradley Perret as Billy which was actually a last-minute decision. A good decision it was because Mr. Perret had an excellent debut and the number 13 was not unlucky for him. More about him later...

This show will probably be my last. 4 times I have seen Billy Elliot and 4 times I have been reminded why I love this musical so much. It's funny, moving, inspiring, etc. Seeing the Billys do the things they do is a privilege in itself. They are truly talented performers and can stand up against thespians of any level. Strong performances at this show included Anna-Jane Casey as Mrs. Wilkinson. I was lucky enough to be up close and I was able to observe how sharp and awesome her acting is. Every facial expression was a natural reaction to things happening in the musical. She was stubborn, tough, and loving. Perfect Mrs. Wilkinson.

Then there was Freddie Butterfield as Michael. I was astounded to learn that Mr. Butterfield is a recent acquisition but he sure didn't make it seem so. He was funny like Michael should be and was incredibly polished.

Then there's Mr. Perret. The Frenchman was a triumph. Sure, he was a little nervous, but who wouldn't be on their first night acting the biggest part in a West End show. But nerves didn't even make up 1% up his performance. He was brilliant. As a singer and dancer, he was able to carry the show effortlessly. It will be amazing to see how strong he gets. But what I found to be his best asset was his acting ability. Perret shows all the professionalism of a veteran West End performer. He was fittingly sad and innocent during 'The Letter,' convincingly angry during 'Angry Dance,' and looked like he was having an amazing time! Even a technical problem in the middle of 'Dream Ballet' did not phase him. I expect all new Billys to be great dancers and even singers, but not to have the acting maturity that Mr. Perret has. He can go as far as he wants as long as he puts his mind to it.

Thanks for existing Billy Elliot the Musical.

[ERinVA]

In looking at your signature, I believe you will need to update it, Sinatra.

Not sure why you will stop at only four performances. Perhaps you will see Billy again in London at some point, or perhaps one of the regional productions in the US that will be coming along, starting with either the Muny or the Ogunquit Playhouse.

[dancingboy]

Wednesday 13 November

Just a few words about the debut performance of Bradley Perret. ( BTW the name is pronounced Perray, or as in beret).

There was no denying that Bradley put on a very competent show and certainly was confident in all that he did. I particularly liked the way he spoke his lines and,considering from where he hails, his accent was pretty good too.
I won't disclose what type of Electricity he performed so as not to spoil things for others seeing him at a later date.

[MsRF]

Wednesday 13th November

Billy - Bradley Perret
Michael - Freddie Butterfield
Debbie - Demi

******SPOILER ALERT*******

I was also lucky enough to catch Bradley's debut this evening. It was a great show and a very confident start for the newest Billy. His acting is superb and his accent spot on. He also doesn't enunciated as clearly as the other Billys, but this is in no way a criticism. It made it more authentic.

For those who are interested, he is a 'street' Billy, and it also looks like he's going to be holding the torch for Harrison's angry dance - he is a brilliant tapper and screamed in anger throughout. Considering the length of angry dance, he did incredibly well and I think it was his shining moment.

There was a technical fault just before the flying in dream ballet - in his first show, poor kid! - but it didn't sway him and the audience whooped and applauded as he finally lifted off.

His electricity is dynamic, and differs quite considerably from Harrison's and Ali's, which was interesting. He got a big round of applause after and broke character to beam and soak up the applause. No flip off the board ending, but I assume that will come with time. He is only 11 after all!

It was also my first time seeing Freddie, and he is blooming marvellous. No words. He is tiny and high pitched, and in face and mannerisms I think he is a lot like the original film Michael. Before expressing kicks off and he is handing Billy his 'women's clothing' he literally walks the catwalk and strikes poses. Very original and very funny. I've seen Billy a fair few times and as such, rarely laugh out loud any more, but his unique interpretation of the 'show iz a bit of ballet then' sequence is hilarious. It was probably due to nerves but Bradley rarely smiled and this was the first time I saw a genuine big wide grin. I think Freddie even took him by surprise!

Thank you boys for your excellent performances and congratulations Bradley, you did yourself, your family and the show proud.

[Sinatra]

In looking at your signature, I believe you will need to update it, Sinatra.

Not sure why you will stop at only four performances. Perhaps you will see Billy again in London at some point, or perhaps one of the regional productions in the US that will be coming along, starting with either the Muny or the Ogunquit Playhouse.

Haha. Thanks for getting me on track with that! It's updated to reflect my current Billy situation.

Stopping at only four performances may be just a personal choice. I am a lover of all kinds of theatre and I have taken advantage of what London has to offer so far. I am lucky to be studying abroad here for the semester and have been blessed to see one of my favorite shows twice. Believe me I have enjoyed both Billy performances, but it's weird... I'd recommend this show to anyone. It's excellent, but... It's really hard to explain.

[Barry Appleby]

Cheers and thanks for your review Rachel on Bradley's debut and of course Freddie's second show, it was also nice to see that the forum was able to have a representive there on this special night.

[kport]

Thursday 14 November Matinee

Redmand
Zak
Demi
Max
Caspar

Another great performance with an exceptionally lively and involved audience. This was evident from the moment that Max climbed on the stage, to a huge round of applause. I enjoy these matinees with school parties who seem to love the experience.

The duo of Redmand/Zak was outstanding, and Redmand's Electricity received the usual pop-star response from the audience. Demi has nailed her role well, and all the Ballet Girls were just great. There were several different faces playing several adult roles but all did a superb job. I thought Caspar and Max acted as though they have been in their roles for ages - Max seems to add a few twists I haven't seen before!

It was an almost flawless performance with a number of new faces in various roles: a testimony to the production staff that does such a fantastic job maintaining high standards - one reason why BETM is still wowing them in London.