Billy Elliot the Forum

Here's a new thread for September reviews.

Thursday 4th Sept - Evening

Matteo/Tomi/Demi

I haven't been to see Billy in a little while so I thought I'd treat myself to a pre-weekend show, and I loved it so much I just had to write about it as soon as I got back...

I hadn't seen Matteo since he first began in May, and although he was very good then, he was obviously nervous and didn't always look like he was enjoying himself. He did tonight - he was all smiles and looking out into the audience for their reactions. And considering I haven't seen him for over three months, tonight, oh my god, what an improvement! Considering he only started dancing a few years ago and has been on stage with Billy for less than four months, he has come so far, and all that in around 30 shows! I can't imagine what he'll be like in six months' time. His singing voice is brilliant and (being from Newcastle myself) his accent is spot on.

I have seen a lot of ballet Electricitys, but his Electricity tonight ranks up there with the best I have seen (and I've seen many fantastic dancers like Tade and Mitchell, who have been training since they were little!). It was absolutely flawless - his pirouettes are so fast and so clean, and he obviously puts full effort into every single move he makes. There was no "saving energy" or "skimping" with Matteo tonight.

Tomi is also excellent - he is less flamboyant than he was when he started and I think he plays the role better now, and he definitely nails the more tender scenes. Demi is also great fun - I've noticed she's also a very 'considerate' Debbie. When she is talking to Billy while he gets changed for Angry Dance, she obviously keeps track of 'how changed' he is and leaves gaps in the conversation or speaks slower so she doesn't rush him too much.

I think Pat mentioned in a previous review how you never know what will happen in any particular show. Tonight had a few funny moments:

During Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher, George emerged with Maggie's wig on, but it was sticking up every which way and some of the cast were openly laughing at him. I imagine that's what she looked like first thing on a morning anyway!

During Dad and Tony's confrontation, Chris pushed Deka away so hard that Deka fell over and went sprawling across the stage. This has been so close to happening many times and tonight it finally did (for the first time that I've seen anyway!). Chris noticeably winced, but Deka was right back on his feet and charging towards him, with possibly more violent intent than he would normally have done!!

When the Scab comes in to give Billy the money, Tony threw it back in his face with such force that it knocked his glasses down onto the very end of his nose. I'm surprised he didn't lose them onto the floor, and I'm impressed the cast didn't start laughing because a few people around me did.

Anyway, tonight has shown me that I really must visit Billy a little more often in future, I completely forgot what I was missing!

Thanks for starting the September reviews, MsRF.

It sounds like the performance was running on high octane.

I couldn't agree more about Matteo, Rachel. His progress has been terrific to watch, and he is now so full of confidence.
It, obviously, has been a while since you have seen the show ,since Deka has been 'throwing' himself to the floor during the confrontation with Tony for some weeks now and George now takes off the Maggie wig during MCMT every time.

Thanks for that Dancingboy - I think Deka deliberately falling as part of this confrontation works really well, it definitely adds a new element to the scene.

And as for Maggie's wig during MCMT, I was referring to the fact that Maggie's fringe was sticking up into some kind of crazy quiff, and the rest of the cast loved it!

Wed 3rd September and Thursday 4th September

Thanks, Rachel, for your great review from last night.

Anyway, tonight has shown me that I really must visit Billy a little more often in future, I completely forgot what I was missing!

Take note, anyone in the same boat .

When we were kids a new small(ish) factory was built at the top of our road. Not just an ordinary factory – a chocolate factory. Well, to be completely accurate, a sweet factory. This was light years before ‘elf and safety and paranoia set in so, not too long after production commenced, we found ourselves able to pop in on certain occasions and have a look, as it were. You can imagine what the sight was like to a bunch of ten year olds – to stand there and watch conveyor belts of goodies roll by mainly consisting of toffee squares and fudge rounds. The “squares” and the “rounds” were important factors. Machines in those times were not as precise so, if a toffee wasn’t square or a piece of fudge wasn’t round it was removed from the conveyor. Let’s face it, who in their right mind would want to eat a semi-hexagonal Rolo? In today’s world these “rejected” pieces would have had a “counsellor” standing by but everything was made of sterner stuff in those days and guess who the grateful beneficiaries of those pieces were. Yum-Yum .....and enough to keep you going until next time. This went on for a year or so and then one morning we woke to the news that, overnight, the factory had burned to the ground and it was never rebuilt .

The Billy Elliot: The Musical conveyor has the opposite rules. None of the cast may be the same whether it be Dad, Mrs. W, Mr. B or the Billys, Michaels and Debbies. Thank goodness for that. They are all brilliant in their own way and all of them contribute massively to the production. Even the music is not the same. Variations ebb and flow all the time with delightful swirls and twirls, not to mention a cymbal or two, to nurture your delicate ears into ecstasy.

Over three shows in a couple of days I was, thus, able to enjoy a whole plethora of different cast members either performing as scheduled or stepping into vacant shoes.

Ollie, Elliott and Matteo (in that order), all at different stages of their Billy careers, delivered the goods in their own inimitable and brilliant styles (and all of them were carrying shiny new bright blue Billy Bags). I had the good fortune to view Ollie’s show from the Dress Circle which is undoubtedly THE place to see the show from but, when you go often, a bit pricey so one must constantly be on the lookout for the cheap seats. There are so many different perspectives based on where you sit but one thing does stand out. The sizes of the current young cast compared to the adults. Looking up from the front an optical illusion loses this perspective a bit but from “up there”, for example, when Dad is looking down at and berating Billy in front of all the Ballet Girls it looks so much more humiliating for him. Likewise in the scene prior to Angry Dance. The floor lighting, of course, is just incredibly brilliant from on high and, as for Dream Ballet? WOW.

Ruthie and Chris have really settled, their confrontation is epic as is Deka’s fight with Tony. Incidentally, in relation to Rachel and John’s comments on Deka sent sprawling on the floor. I have only seen this happen once before – quite a long time ago now. I mostly attend matinees at which he doesn’t do it and he didn’t at yesterday’s either so maybe he only does it once a day, LOL. I genuinely thought it was an accident last night and one would wonder if it was wise for him to be doing this even once a night – I am basing this viewpoint entirely on what I saw last night. I got quite a fright as, at one point, I thought he looked so off-balance that he was going to crash head-on into the steel cage.

All three shows I saw were top class, packed with all the thrills, emotions and performed by a multitude of multi-talented performers. My grateful thanks to Ollie/Elliott/Matteo and Co. for once again making my trip to London so memorable…enough toffee and fudge to last until next time.

Pat

Thanks for your review, Pat! I'd been wondering if the bright blue bag was a Matteo special or not!

Thank you Rachel and Pat for starting off the September reviews in such fine style.

If I remember correctly James Gaddas hurt himself when throwing himself to the ground in the confrontation scene with Tony. He was out injured for quite a while but was determined to perform on his last night.

MsRF wrote:Thanks for your review, Pat! I'd been wondering if the bright blue bag was a Matteo special or not!

Rachel, someone in the Company must have won the Lottery last weekend, as the new blue Billy bag was on show from Monday this week.

Billy Whiz wrote:If I remember correctly James Gaddas hurt himself when throwing himself to the ground in the confrontation scene with Tony. He was out injured for quite a while but was determined to perform on his last night.

Yes, you are correct in that, David. I can remember he told us that he would be turning up even it meant "doing it on one leg" . Fantastic Jackie Elliot was James and always a gentleman. Somewhere in my archives I still have the moving letter he wrote afterwards to the Forum members.

Pat