Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

cheltonian
Small Boy
Posts: 64
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 12:10 am

Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by cheltonian »

Having seen the tour show a number of times now, there's a very clear anomaly with Tall Boy that irritates me. I'm not sure whether this also applied in the London show, I haven't checked against the DVD!

In the opening scene, "The stars look down", Tall Boy appears to be the son of the scab miner, yet when we get to the scene after Jackie Elliot has returned to work and the other miners turn on Tony Tall Boy comes forward to spit at him. Also, if Tall Boy was that close to the scab miner it's unlikely he would have been present in the "Maggie Thatcher" scene at the start of act 2.

Does it bother anyone else that there is such a clear incongruity?
Todd
Dad
Posts: 1664
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:05 am
Location: Kansas City, USA

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by Todd »

I was always under the impression that the tall boy was meant to be the son of one of the striking miners - not the son of a scab miner. After all, he comes running into the room where all the miners are waiting to find out if they're going on strike or not in the first scene, and shouts his comment to everyone that the strike verdict is about to be announced. Seconds later, the miner comes in and says, "We're out ! We're on strike!" Thus, it would indeed make sense later on when he spits on Jackie Elliot after he's crossed the picket line, as well as his being present in the "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher" scene.

Another interpretation would be that the tall boy isn't necessarily meant to portray the same character throughout, but serves the purpose of being an "extra kid" whenever a scene calls for that. And, of course, he's definitely a different character apart from the miner's son when he portrays the posh boy at the Royal Ballet School audition.
User avatar
patc
Mrs Wilkinson
Posts: 1406
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:26 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by patc »

"Tall Boy" is not any one character in the show. It is just the designated title for the boy who plays different characters throughout (including Posh Boy who lives a long, long way from Easington.) On the Tour he is played by Billys and Michaels whereas in London they were extra actors.

Pat
Image
cheltonian
Small Boy
Posts: 64
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 12:10 am

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by cheltonian »

patc wrote:"Tall Boy" is not any one character in the show. It is just the designated title for the boy who plays different characters throughout (including Posh Boy who lives a long, long way from Easington.) On the Tour he is played by Billys and Michaels whereas in London they were extra actors.

Pat
Well of course I realised that Posh Boy is a distinct character, that's obvious. But at other times, from costume, its not clear so it still appears as if the boy that's dragged out of the hall by the scum miner in the opening scene is the same boy that does the spitting at Tony later in the show. I did wonder whether they were played by different actors in London.
User avatar
LiamM
Technical Advisor
Technical Advisor
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by LiamM »

In Stars, it is clear to me that Tall Boy is initially the son of the scab. After he gets taken out of the scene, he returns later as part of the crowd. I have always considered him to be a different person, another boy in the village. Likewise, Tall Boy at boxing is not the scab's son, but he could be the same person who spits later.
User avatar
angelenroute
Billy
Posts: 3831
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:05 am
Location: Malverne (Long Island), NY

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by angelenroute »

And because in most productions, the Scab is played by the same actor who plays Posh Dad later on, you could create your own fan fiction that he and his son suddenly posh it off to the Royal Ballet School later on. :D

Likewise, Older Billy may somehow cross the threshold of time and space to become the Glasgowian dancer Jackie encounters at the Royal Ballet School. How could he have known he was bumming a smoke from his own son, now all grown up? ;)

Great answers, by the way, from everyone else. I think Todd summed it up well.

"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
Real Geordie
Ballet Girl
Posts: 267
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2015 8:02 pm
Location: England

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by Real Geordie »

More anomalies. What about the scab himself ? The strike has only just been announced to everyone, no picketing activity can possibly have taken place, a minute later the guy enters and is vilified as a scab ! Maybe he crossed the picket lines in the earlier strikes in 1972 or 1974 ? Jackie Elliot is cooking breakfast, the frying pan containing the food catches fire, another frying pan is switched which Big Davey takes away with him whilst eating the food. Two frying pans ! Sounds a bit too posh &/or affluent for striking miners - maybe a “two for one” offer from the Co-op ? A signed photo of Kevin Keegan (Newcastle United) - in Easington, deep in Sunderland (or even Middlesbrough) football club territory ? I think not. I blame Lee Hall for not fact checking.
User avatar
patc
Mrs Wilkinson
Posts: 1406
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:26 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by patc »

Real Geordie wrote:vilified as a scab ! Maybe he crossed the picket lines in the earlier strikes in 1972 or 1974 ?
Exactly. You know what they say, "once a scab always a scab" :D.
Two frying pans ! Sounds a bit too posh &/or affluent for striking miners
They had them from before the strike. 30 years earlier, in even poorer times, we had two frying pans, one for the sausages, rashers and black pud and the other for the eggs. I know cos I was made to wash 'em :D .
A signed photo of Kevin Keegan (Newcastle United) - in Easington, deep in Sunderland (or even Middlesbrough) football club territory ? I think not. I blame Lee Hall for not fact checking.
I think that's being unfair to Lee Hall. I'm sure Lee was well aware of who Kevin Keegan was. He had a very high profile. Didn't he also Captain England and win more than 50 caps (and scored plenty of goals) so there could easily have been at least one signed photo of the England Captain in Easington. You could also argue that Lee had to use a very well-known name for effect. Most people, out of the envisaged audience at the show, would have heard of him and maybe there were no Sunderland or Middlesbrough players whose names stood out as much to the general public. Bear also in mind that Michael is berating the Christmas presents he received so why not a Kevin Keegan mugshot to berate? :D

Pat
Image
Real Geordie
Ballet Girl
Posts: 267
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2015 8:02 pm
Location: England

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by Real Geordie »

........... maybe there were no Sunderland or Middlesbrough players whose names stood out as much to the general public ......
There still aren't - they're all crap
User avatar
LiamM
Technical Advisor
Technical Advisor
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Anomaly in the tour show (Tall Boy)

Post by LiamM »

Real Geordie wrote:More anomalies. What about the scab himself ? The strike has only just been announced to everyone, no picketing activity can possibly have taken place, a minute later the guy enters and is vilified as a scab !
Maybe for the past several weeks as strike talk grew he has been talking down the whole idea and making it known that he won't go along with it.
Post Reply

Return to “Billy Elliot UK/Ireland Tour”