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Chat about BETM UK/Ireland Tour

Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 1:20 am
by porschesrule
According to this article in Broadway World, the show is "eyeing a UK tour over the 2016-17 season."

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BI ... r-20150507

Re: BETM UK Tour??

Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 2:32 pm
by jtsw1
Good news, I guess! But does anyone know when "2016-17 season" will begin? Summer? I was hoping to visit the birthday-week next year in May - can't make it this time.

Re: BETM UK Tour??

Posted: Sun May 10, 2015 3:43 am
by Todd
Good news for the tour, but I imagine that would mean bad news for the show in London. That's probably when they're planning to begin the refurbishment of the Victoria Palace Theater, since that's been mentioned for awhile now as being in the works. I wouldn't think they would continue to have a standing production in London while also having a U.K. tour going on at the same time, but hopefully I'm wrong.

Re: BETM UK Tour??

Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 3:04 pm
by FanBilly
It is possible; Wicked has a UK Tour as well as London production, but I guess we'll find out.

Re: BETM UK Tour??

Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 3:56 pm
by porschesrule
In my opinion, it's unlikely they'll do both a tour and continue a regular presence in the West End. I believe the tour is way BETM management will keep the show alive in the UK after evacuating the VPT for the planned renovation there. Whether the show is later resurrected in a somewhat permanent form in the West End remains to be seen.

Re: BETM UK Tour??

Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 4:22 pm
by kport
This is pure speculation, but because geographical distances in the UK are relatively short, rather than hitting the road for weeks or months at a time, they could continue to maintain the London Billy House (this is based upon the show reopening on the West End) and rotate Billys, Michaels and other young cast so that training and school work can be maintained, as well as the ongoing training of future young cast. To close the London 'base' in order to restart it six months or a year or eighteen months later might be quite a challenge.

Meanwhile, the kids on tour will need to be educated, trained and supervised under regulations that, I think, are somewhat more rigid than was the case when the last international tour took place in North America. What I am proposing would be a tour based from London, travelling to other cities in the UK and possibly Eire from that base, with minor cast rotating in and out on a regular basis.

Re: BETM UK Tour??

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 9:11 am
by porschesrule

Re: BETM UK Tour

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 10:43 am
by CJ-Rochester
Here is what little information there is about the tour. It opens at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in February 2016 and tours across the UK and Ireland.

http://billyelliotthemusical.com/news/b ... r-uk-tour/

Re: BETM UK Tour

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 11:56 am
by kport
According to this article, BETM @ the VPT has announced that ticket sales will extend to 17 December 2016.

http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/ ... d-extends/

And according to this article, the Tour will launch in Plymouth (quite appropriate - a nation was 'launched from Plymouth ;) at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in February 2016.

http://billyelliotthemusical.com/news/b ... r-uk-tour/

It looks as though the Tour and the Mother Ship may be running BWTM concurrently, at least for ten months!

Re: BETM UK Tour

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 5:51 pm
by NateMerch
And I could be wrong, but I believe they'll be using the tour 2.5 sets from the US.