Southampton 27th Feb to 1st Mar.
I’m in total agreement with Barry and Sheffan. The first leg (Monday) of this week’s Trilly-Thon at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre was attended by the mutest audience I have ever sat with. Initially, I suspected that they must have been still suffering from their team having been robbed by a linesman at the final in Wembley on the Sunday. All this despite an absolutely stunning first half performance. They did pull themselves together a bit in Part Two and gave Emile a wonderful reception after his so graceful
Electricity.
Tuesday was a bit better and Wednesday was pretty good. However, overall the audiences were nothing like they have been at every other venue where the buzz was phenomenal at every show and on the way out. Perhaps those Southerners didn’t like Mrs. T being berated.
With the 1st Anniversary of the Tour show coming up I can say with certainty that the show continues with incredible energy and commitment by the sensational cast. As brilliant as ever. Yet, even now as it arrives at the five furlong post, the creative team still strive for better, compiling copious notes during the shows as, indeed, we often saw in London over the years.
Even the tiniest changes can have real meaning. I think it was prior to "Billy Live" that the words, “Don’t go”, were added to Billy’s script for
The Letter. Just two words but they meant so much emotionally for that ready-made tearjerker scene. This time, one small change concerns the introductory music to
Electricity. It is with quiet soft strings instead of the MD’s piano note that follows a bit later. It creates not only tension but also a kind of mystical aura. Beautiful. Under the baton (well, hands) of Patrick Hurley the music is so meaningful, powerful and exquisite. There is not a single note out of place.
Another very tiny alteration seen was Small Boy’s dropping of coins into Billy’s this–and-this money. This was done using both hands rather than from SB’s jacket pocket.
Emile, Haydn and Lewis were the three Billys on duty and led from the front with such amazing skill and energy that still blows me away every time I see the show. Their acting, singing and dancing is out of this world and when you add the somersaults and the powerful and precision cross-handed skipping at breakneck speed you realise that “multi-talented” is not a good enough word for it. The extraordinary thing is that none of them ever look even the remotest bit tired at the end of it all despite the amount of energy expended over three hours. The wonderful thing is the killer smiles that tell us how much they love what they do.
Elliot (twice) and Samuel were superb purveyors of dance, comedy and pathos as Michael. The springs in their steps have never wavered over the year and their boundless energy in
Expressing is addictive. I’m not a dancer but I reckon that, if ever there was a BETM audience sing-and-dance-along, these two would have me three foot above the ground betimes.
On the subject of the Michael’s in
Expressing I have noticed over the past while that the line “Do you get to wear a tutu” has been slowed down with more deliberate emphasis on each word. This seems to have produced more laughter…even at Southampton!
Debbies we saw this week were Evie (twice) and Italia and, along with the Ballet Girls, they have also meticulously maintained the high standards they set 12 months ago. Debbie’s lines in the
Toilet Scene also appear to have been slowed down ever so slightly with pauses which makes the scene that tiny bit more natural.
I cannot praise too highly the adult principal cast and Ensemble. Each and every one of the principal cast have got right inside every character with such amazing attention to detail. It is as if they were born to play these parts. The energy coming off the stage has never let up for an instant. With this Ensemble the likes of
Solidarity and the spectacle of
Angry Dance have never been performed better. It is genius theatre brought to life in a most special and exciting and glorious manner.
Once we were Kings is heartbreaking. As the pit lift doors close and the miners’ lights disappear from view you can sense that their world is ending as you, helplessly, watch on.
By the end of the show the only one left with any hope is Billy. The Miners have gone back to work with nothing for their efforts and redundancy ahead (so eloquently but devastatingly put by an emotional Tony). Mrs W has been left with her third rate ballet class and alcoholic hubby. Michael has lost his best friend. But even Billy’s hope is tinged with sadness and uncertainty. The cinematic style ending with Michael all alone on stage leaves the audience in empathetic silence. Luckily, the fantastic, bubbling Finale provides us and the cast with the opportunity to go bananas. Nothing on Planet Earth compares.
Pat
PS Tesco workers in Ireland were on strike a week or so ago. Arthur Scargill came over to join the pickets and give them support. Make what you will of that