July 2010 - Reviews - London

[Deanfan5]

Saturday matinee 17th July.

Billy: Dean
Michael: Connor
Debbie: Emily
Mrs W :Caroline D
MrB: Phil S
Grandma: Romy

I thought I had got over being weepy at certain points in the show but not today. This was one of the most evocative shows I have seen from Dean and I tried to work out why it had such an impact on me and many of the folk around me. I think it was down to 2 factors. Firstly Dean has gone up a considerable notch in the emotional stakes. He now uses his face and expressions to maximum impact. The crumpled expression in The Letter and Letter reply were two example. A 'Tom' sob and some tears accompanied lovely singing so the effect was utter powerful poignancy. Dean now blends nicely the feelings of bemusement,feistiness and frustration with abject emotion in a way that is totally convincing. No wonder the audience warmed to his Billy portrayal totally and gave him a very enthusiastic ovation at the end. Dream sequence and Electricity were also danced with panache and style.
The second factor was the chemistry between Connor and Dean which in combination gave a really profound feel to where the relationship between Billy and Michael lies in their mutual struggles and searches to sort out their identities and how they manage to bounce off each other in their emotions in the process. Superb character acting by both. Connor has a lovely ability to switch from the complete asinine to the deadly serious which is very compelling. You really felt that both characters were helping each other out in their discovery of life. Connor wowed the audience again as he only can and it was made more funny by the complete tangle he got into when putting on his 'too small tutu'. I do not know how many layers of pants he had on but I guess the audience saw them all in what was a total riot of colours.
I am a big fan of Caroline as Mrs W and her ability to dance and spar in BTB had maximum impact. She also conveys a great sense of warmth to Billy which was demonstrated in the parting scene to great effect with no titters from the audience.
Once again an excellent Mr B from Phil S who does not overplay the role but the understated manner he adopts at times turns out to be very effective.
One can only respect Dean for all he has done for the show and on the evidence of this afternoon he really does deserve to have a very fulfilling career in the performing arts. The potential is clearly there as it is also with Connor.

[Deanfan5]

Tuesday 20th July.
Billy: Rhys
Michael: Connor
Debbie: Emily
Caroline D as Mrs W.

I am still wondering why the show overran by 7 minutes when there were no apparent faults or delays. Was it the heat or perhaps tiredness that led to a slightly pedestrian feel to the evening? who knows.On the plus side, a good house, a responsive audience, plenty of enthusistic school pupils and an outstanding Billy who ended up with the audience totally eating out of his hand.
Such was the impact of Rhys that after a beautifully danced Electricity, the news that he had not 'got in' was greeted with stunned silence and gasps of incredulity. Hence when Tony revealed the true nature of the letter the audience burst into spontaneous applause and cheering. I have never heard this before and it was a very moving moment. One of the joys of an aisle stall seat is that one has an opportunity to admire the dancing in more depth particularly that of Billy. I have read past reviews of Rhys from Forum aficionados such as Jacob et al and last night I could see that their rhetoric was not just an enthusiastic assessment but very much reality.With Rhys you have poise,grace, passion,elegance,perfect pirouettes and you can see why as a dancer in particular he has such Liam like potential in bucketloads. This in no small part was a major factor why the audience reaction to Rhys was so wholehearted and enthusiastic because they had literally taken this Billy to their hearts. Whoever it was that was assessing Rhys from one of the boxes must have gone away a very happy man on last night's showing.
In contrast I have to say that Connor looked tired and a little leg weary. The spark we normally associate with him last night was a trifle dimmer and when he literally 'stumbled' off after the winter scene you felt it was for him maybe one of those nights. Emily was her usual bouncy self but please slow down the retort 'you look a right dickhead to me' as it's impact was lost and I could hear people saying 'what did she say'?
I would like to draw attention to 2 changes in the role of small boy. In the party scene he now drags Dad forward to sing his song (believable) but also cavorts about in the same scene wearing an imitation policeman's helmet.(?unbelievable). Would the small boy as part of the pro-mining anti police community want to dress up as a hated copper I do not know. Maybe I am being a bit pedantic others must judge.
Last night I sat next to a Norwegian man who had been 'demonstrating' his wares at the Farnborough air show. He had been recommended the show by his Victoria hotel as 'better than Wicked' but had never seen the film, was unaware of the politics, and had no idea what to expect. Having given him a brief precis of the story before the show started, at the end I asked him what he had made of it. Referring to Rhys he said 'we just do not have boys like that in Norway..totally amazing'. That for me in a nutshell perfectly summed up my lasting impression of last night's show; 'Rhys Yeomans-absolutely awesome'. My thumbs up to him afterwards (reciprocated) as he sat with a big Rhys grin in the front of Billy bus seemed on reflection however to be totally inadequate.

[porschesrule]

Thank you, Deanfan5, for the (as always) well thought out and well written, descriptive review of last night's proceedings.

The bit you added about the Norwegian gentleman sitting next to you was again one of my favorite parts of reading reviews here -- I love hearing about audience members' reactions to the show and especially if it's their first time seeing it. And that description of what happened with the audience after Tony revealed the true contents of the RBS letter -- what a wonderful moment in live theatre! Can you imagine what must have been going through the cast members' heads at that moment? That had to truly make their nights when they realized that their efforts were so appreciated by that audience.

In reading your review of the London show (along with many other recent reviews of it), I can't help but think that the "mother ship" production is in as fine a shape as ever. The four current Billys are at the top of their form skills wise, all project a charismatic stage presence and all seem to be happy young lads who thoroughly enjoy every moment of their West End experiences.

As BillyWhiz would say "Keep those reviews coming!"

[Billy Whiz]

I would like to draw attention to 2 changes in the role of small boy. In the party scene he now drags Dad forward to sing his song (believable) but also cavorts about in the same scene wearing an imitation policeman's helmet.(?unbelievable).

If my memory serves me correctly Small Boy wears a policeman's hat in the NYC show. This may well be another import - albeit a very small one.

[ERinVA]

He wears the jacket and carries a night stick as well.

[*Lottie*]

Two reviews; Matinee and Evening. I’ve covered mostly different scenes in both.

Thursday 22nd July 2010

Matinee – Stalls Row A seats 10-8

Billy; Ollie Gardner
Michael; Jake Pratt
Debbie; Francesca Mango

Last time I saw Ollie was last July. it was my first time seeing the show after a 2year gap. I hadn’t been following the show as closely as I had previously and it was Ollie that reintroduced my love for it. It wasn’t until after I returned home and rediscovered the forum that I found out Ollie had only recently taken the role as Billy. I was astonished. He was so accomplished. Back to the present and seeing Ollie again was amazing seeing how even further he was developed.

Boxing Scene.
For me, it is safe to say this is one of the funniest Boxing Scenes I have seen. Jake is a comedic hero. He can just throw a glance and I’m laughing. I could tell from this early scene that Ollie and Jake have a great chemistry as Billy and Michael.
I LOVE Ollie’s boxing ‘distraction’ moves .

Shine.
The incident with the keys really made me laugh, two attempts to get them over the wall!
I saw the same set of Ballet girls last month and I have to give them a mention. They are a joy to watch. The little girl who plays Alison Summers is great, so cheeky.
I love all the improvisation Ollie adds to this scene with his muttering and miming of phrases as Mrs Wilkinson ignores him and the ballet girls push him around. The confusion in his face as clear. Ollie has great rapour with the audience in this scene too. He is very interactive; glances, eye rolling etc. His acting is something else.
An audience member shouted “Well done” at the end of this scene. Maybe some ballet girls had some family watching?

Solidarity.
The closeness of Francesca to Ollie when ‘picking a spot on the wall’ for pirouettes was the closest I’ve seen a Debbie be. It was really effective. It was my second time seeing her but I’m not sure if she did the same previously. I think she is an immense actress. Shes always there in the background constantly staring at Billy or throwing a look and she makes her feelings very clear throughout.

Express.
I could rave on forever about Express in this performance. My personal highlight. My face was aching by the end because I was smiling so much and was reduced to crying with laughter. When Jake turned around from the mirror with a Ballet Girls ‘Shine’ headband on it was obvious Ollie had not expected that and his reaction was priceless. The two of them laughed throughout and you could tell they were having a blast!
I was the one to be targeted by Jake in this scene, a huge wink along with the call me gesture. It just added to the whole fun of the scene for me.

Angry Dance.
I think I will always associate Ollie with Angry Dance. Last year I said the same. He is so strong and the emotion leaves me holding my breath and on the edge of my seat.

Pre-Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher.
We got the Geordie acknowledgement. Joe said something along the lines of; “ Look at them bonny lasses, they look like trouble”

Other Points.
•In my review last month with Aaron I mentioned I really enjoyed the new BTB. Sad to say I am not so sure now. However I don’t take back what I originally said. In that performance Aaron, Gen and Sean pulled off what appeared an effortless performance and I do enjoy the new depth it adds. But after witnessing it with a few ‘mishaps’ in the matinee and evening. I’m a bit torn on my feelings.
•Jakes use of his glasses I really like. Especially in the Winter Scene during the splits and the nutcracker.
•I was a bit worried as Ollie did appear to have a bit of a cough, he kept having to clear his throat.
•Paddy was small boy.

What we need is individuality.
Mouthing lines and improvisation. The length of time Ollie has been in the show now really
shows in a positive light, his own touches really bring extra life to Billy. He oozes confidence and is so obviously comfortable in the role that he can do this. This also allows him to develop a real relationship with the audience and interact which really brings us into the heart of the show.

PS. Am I right to believe Row B was populated by forum members?

Evening review in the next post!

[caaz]

Love the review so much was such an amazing show!!!
Express & the boxing scene were definitely amongst my favourite interpretations i've seen
But the bin thing? i'm sure that was Dean it happened to in the evening not Ollie in the matinee?

[*Lottie*]

Love the review so much was such an amazing show!!!
Express & the boxing scene were definitely amongst my favourite interpretations i've seen
But the bin thing? i'm sure that was Dean it happened to in the evening not Ollie in the matinee?

thanks

No i'm sure it was Ollie ? maybe someone can remember who was also there
You might be thinking of Dean going to the bin but not using it because he dropped the letter?


It wont let me post my other review mods? any idea what it means when there is a string error. I've tried 3 times. Not to worry...managed!

[*Lottie*]

....


Thursday 22nd July 2010

Dress Circle - Row A

Billy; Dean Charles Chapman
Michael; Connor Kelly
Debbie; Emily Smith

I received these tickets for my birthday (which is in a week). Seeing Dean was an amazing birthday present, believe me i've waited along time to see him as Billy. He fully met my expectations and actually went beyond them. Both shows on thursday were very individual and different scenes stood out.

Grandma’s Song.
The way Dean played this scene was different to what I’ve seen before. Laughing out loud and throwing his head back. Really enjoyable to see Billy’s reactions more emphasised in this song.
This was my first time seeing Romy as Grandma. When she first appeared in Billy’s House scene I didn’t even click that it wasn’t Ann! All I noticed was that she wore a different patterned nightdress. It wasn’t until she started to act with Tony and Jackie that I noticed. She is VERY similar in her portrayal to Ann and she sounded very like her. But she plays the role with subtle differences.

Toilet Scene.
Emily’s stroppy Debbie I’ve said before I really enjoy and the way she interacted with Billy here showed Debbie as pretending not to care with a very tough exterior. Deans pause after the ‘f**ny’ line was rather long. But what he did during it was genius. His obvious contemplation, beginning to open his mouth as if to say yes, along with a cheeky glance downwards, before quickly shaking his head “na, ya alrite”.

Angry Dance.
Dean had me in tears. The emotion he portrayed was indescribable.

Pre- Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher.
Craig acknowledged us from earlier the afternoon show. Once again we cheered for the Geordies we’re just representing you know !

Dream Ballet.
Timing was practically perfection. Deans Ballet was beautiful. He danced with feeling. His leg lines and arms were stretched right to the tip. Something we are always told at dance class is to ‘finish’ off movements. Dean took every single movement and step separately and made sure it was all finished off, but at the same time all the dance flowed together superbly.

Audition Scene.
I really liked the way Dean gestured by pointing vigorously to himself that he could fix the tape. Made me laugh.
When the tape fails and Billy comes back out from behind the safety curtain this was the first time I had seen any Billy portray Billy’s feelings the way Dean does. Instead of pure anger and frustration Dean’s vulnerability he adds to this scene by crying really stood out. Really really love the interpretation.

Electricity.
Like dream ballet every movement was emphasised and held. Acro appeared effortless.

Other Points.
•My fourth time seeing Connor as Michael and he can never disappoint. I swear he adds fresh aspects to the character every time. One of my favourite scenes during this show was the winter scene. Connor and his “Just. A. little. Bit.” Makes me laugh so much. With all the Billy’s I have seen him with the winter scene was folded together so well, the sadness in his face.
•Born to Boogie ended without a piano flip sadly. What with getting untangled from the rope and changing shoes back..timing is really tight :/
•Small Boy Aaron. I saw Aaron as small boy last month as well. And his delivery of “see ya George” is the sweetest thing and even George’s reaction is like he can’t contain himself from the cuteness. His dancing in MCMT as well is funny and cute, not to mention the singing along. Not sure why he didn’t come back on for finale. Dean gestured for him but then a BG shook her head and Dean stepped back into line.
•I don’ t think props were on Deans side today! The money jar lid seemed to be causing problems, few attempts to get that on properly. Then the RBS acceptance letter flew from his hands whilst running down the stairs. Some quick thinking from Craig though, he ran up to Billy’s room and used the envelope instead. His denim jacket got stuck a couple of times as he tried to get it off and the bag ‘hat’ in express had to be thrown off because the strap was the wrong way. Then there was the bin in the kitchen was playing up at one point and after two attempts to open it with his foot Dean gave up and just lifted the lid.

- Have to add a note on Deans Geordie accent! Absolutely spot on. I also noticed he used more dialect words in places than Ollie did in the matinee.


What we need is individuality
Deans attitude. Deans brings an ‘attitude’ to Billy that I haven’t seen before. If I was to explain it in modern terms I’d say he makes Billy ‘cool’. He has a swagger and the facial expression he does where he sticks out his chin. But he shows this as Billy’s surface traits, underneath he is extremely vulnerable. Prime example is the crying after coming through the safety curtain after the audition scene. Every other Billy I have seen as chosen to emphasise Billy’s anger and frustration that the audition seemed to go wrong. But Dean coming out and crying was so moving. Similarly in the crossover from Billy being banned from ballet to born to boogie sitting on the bed Dean turned Billy’s anger into a breakdown of crying. Very clever.

[caaz]

But the bin thing? i'm sure that was Dean it happened to in the evening not Ollie in the matinee?

No i'm sure it was Ollie ?
You might be thinking of Dean going to the bin but not using it because he dropped the letter?

Hmmm i have it written on my phone in my evening memo and i wrote it straight after the show so.....
& i have definitely put about the rbs letter thing seperate so i know it's not the same thing