Two great shows yesterday with Aaron, Jake and Emily doing the matinee and Ollie, Connor and Fleur in the evening.
This was a day of firsts for me - first time seeing Aaron and Genevieve and the first time seeing the new Born to Boogie routine in London. Talking of this first, it is very similar to that done in New York and Chicago, although it didn't pack quite as much of a punch. I think this is because the orchestra in both the US cities is larger than in London, and so the music came across as being more powerful. Personally, I quite like the new version of B2B!
I also like Genevieve Lemon as Mrs Wilkinson. Yes, she does come across as perhaps being a little cold and clinical at times towards Billy, but I always got the impression that there was a genuine warmth just beneath the surface waiting to break out. I thought Genevieve had an excellent voice which was was really clear and strong, and she wore a huge range of costumes!
I had already seen Daniel Page as Mr Braithwaite a couple of times when he was first in the show and thought that he suits the part well. Being big and strong, he has no problem "throwing" Billy around in B2B, and he does a very creditable splits!
Aaron and Ollie were great as Billy, quite different from each other. Aaron is a wonderful dancer and you can see he is totally concentrating on everything he does. This was only the second time I had seen Ollie (the first being his opening night), and he is so confident in everything he does. It also made a nice change to see a "street" Electricity! Both Aaron and Ollie looked like they loved playing with the older cast members, especially Grandma! They were often smiling and both had great fun with their "Michaels", Jake and Connor, who were both very funny!
It has also been a long time since I had seen David Bardsley as Dad and I have always thought him great in the role. He is perhaps slightly more comical than Joe and some of the previous Dads, made more so by a wonderful range of facial expressions and spot on timing in his vocal delivery!
August 2010 - Reviews - London
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
I have to say that this Billy Elliot day (Thursday 19th August) has been like no other that I can recall. To be honest, its been a bit of a monster but as monsters go, one of the loveliest monsters you could ever wish to meet.
I had tickets for this evenings show (B6 stalls) bought and paid for some weeks before but, as the week rolled on, it became abundantly clear that Ollie would be performing and as such, I and other BETM friends decided that in reality, although the seats B5 and B6 aren’t too bad, we could better them by getting day seats in A row. Of course – this would mean queuing. We decided it would be worth it. So at 7.45am I and other friends arrived at the VP and had a real good chin wag about BETM and anything else, including putting the world to rights. The two and a quarter hours waiting before the VP Box Office opened went in a flash and we duly got all our seats for both the Matinee & the Evening performance in the very centre of the stalls on the front row. Then off to work and back at the VP at two for the matinee.
Aaron was performing at the matinee and was completely awesome. Aarons Dad wondered up to see us and chat before the show and promised a few photos with Aaron at the stage Door after the show. Photo session brilliant – some lovely photo’s will be handed to Billy Whiz as soon as I get home and then we went over to the Stage Door for a few drinks before the evening performance. Quite soon after we had arrived and after Dad had safely handed Aaron back to the VP, he, joined us for a drink together with Aarons Grand-Parents and Friends. What a lovely little occasion that turned out to be. Cheers to Nick (Aaron’s Dad).
We had a few pints and then were privileged to see one of (if not thee) best Ollie performances ever. What an absolutely fantastic and amazing show - Ollie, Connor and Fleur on top form, a stupendous Small Boy who, as Keith says, sings absolutely everything when he is on stage (including all the naughty bits!) and a sparkling and lively team of Ballet Girls. Also brilliant performances from Genevieve as Mrs W, Daniel Page and Mr B, and the whole ensemble including Matt and his band. Somehow (and it wasn’t the drink) everything really came together for me for this show – it sparkled, it moved me, it made me laugh out loud, it made me think – it reminded me of those awful times in the 80’s it also reminded me how lucky and privileged I am. It had me on the edge of my seat and yes, before anyone says it, the show usually affects me in this way but tonight, it was even more full on for me – it reached different heights altogether – it touched button’s I didn’t even know I had.
I want to talk about individuals because they are really worth of praise. With Ollie, it is very difficult. It’s all been said before. Whether you like him, love him or tolerate him (and I couldn’t care less which category you fall into as it’s irrelevant) I feel totally at ease and comfortable with his excellent performance. He is pure entertainment value. He is (in my view) a very likeable Billy, very easy going, confident and provides a relaxed and experienced performance which spans every possible emotion which he gets across with absolute ease. He is the only Billy that personally engages with his audience through his significant eye contact across the whole of the front of the stalls. I am no dance expert so cannot comment on Ollie’s technical ability but what I do know is that his dancing is highly entertaining and a pleasure to watch, it is interesting, it flows, it is exciting and breathtaking in parts, it is moving at times and most important of all – HE CLEARLY AND VISIBLY LOVES EVERY PART OF IT – his face lights up like a beacon as he delivers each dance of course with the exception of Angry Dance which for this performance was aggressive and fierce. His face frustrated and intense – like thunder no, like a storm no, in reality, his performance of this important sequence was like a Category 7 Hurricane. Absolutely bloody marvellous Ollie, really.
Aaron as I have said played Billy in the afternoon and what a show he gave. He had taken over from Dean the night before but there was no sign whatsoever of any tiredness . I love the way in which Aaron plays Billy – he’s intense, he’s rugged, he’s such a natural and believable young lad straight out of the Easington mould. He’s gruff and he bears a lads street voice which in terms of pitch almost reaches the depths of manhood – this manifests itself both in the spoken dialogue and the musical numbers which he sings with such focus and determination. Whereas I find Ollie relaxing, I am on the edge of my seat with Aaron – although I thoroughly enjoy his performance, he has me on edge for the whole show – not in any negative way but 100% positively probably because he has caught my attention from the very moment he walks on stage at the beginning and is transporting me scene by scene through the troubled times of the story. This guy is a determined young man and even though his ballet (in my very humble and uneducated experience) seems like perfection to me, I know he has the focus and determination (as Fox did) to work hard to continually improve and perfect his dance offerings and to introduce ‘street’ elements including the infamous back flip off the wall at the end of electricity. You show ‘em Aaron – you’ve got all the ingredients of another legendary Billy.
We had Jake in the afternoon and Connor in the evening and both guys gave 150% to their show. I would even say that it was Jakes best ever performance that I have seen – absolutely hilarious and a dream partnership with young Aaron. I will miss the way in which Jake’s Michael kisses the photo of Billy during express when he goes in the next few weeks, I’ll also miss the way in which he uses his glasses as an extra but effective prop to get the message of Michael across and I’ll miss the almost campless approach to the character which he makes work so well for a lad besotted with his best friend – its quite refreshing to see Jake play a lad so confused about his sexuality in such a straight way (ignoring the obvious ‘girly’ things imposed by the writers). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I would like all the Michaels to be played in this way – I would not. To me, its refreshing to see the individuals rendition of the character – it’s what make the show interesting and it’s what makes me want to come back for more. Now Connor, he plays Michael for laughs. I cannot help but enjoy everything that Connor does. Yes it’s different to Jake and that what makes it refreshing. Connor is a natural born comedian. He is the Eric Morecambe or Tommy Cooper of his day. He is the sort of guy who makes you laugh just by walking on the stage. Connor could sing Opera – he demonstrates this with his impersonation of Pavarotti during express – it brings the house down. To be fair, regardless of who is Billy, Connor steals the show during Express and no one can touch him. Much as I like his Pavarotti, the best little Connor sequence has got to be his ‘pixie’ walk away from Billy at the end of the pantomime scene – it takes me 10 minutes to compose myself after seeing this.
I want to pay an enormous tribute to the wonderful Ballet Girls. It was the same team for both shows and they were simply the best. Great periods of naughtiness from the very start and throughout the show interposed with colourful and vibrant formation sequences particularly during ‘shine’ and ‘solidarity’. I dare not single out any one member of this team as they are all strong and focussed and delivered many funny and silly episodes throughout the show.
For most of this week, the part of Mr Braithwaite has been played by Daniel Page. What a find! I appreciate that the talented and versatile Phil Snowden is destined to take on the role but in Daniel, there is a very worthy alternative/understudy. I was lucky enough to meet up for a few minutes with Dan in the pub after the show to congratulate him on his performance and in particular to wax lyrical about his opening dance in B2B. It is really lol stuff and I love the way in which he plays on his size and shape to make the dance even more entertaining. Great work Dan. Also, there was another new guy in the ensemble who started either Monday or Tuesday. This new addition to the cast did an exceptional and perfect job from the very start. I will establish his name and edit the post eventually, but suffice it to say, he is quite recognisable with a shiny small bald head that is not large enough to support a policemans helmet in solidarity!!! I watched every sequence he was involved in and it was like watching a member of the cast who had been with the show for years.
A few photo’s at the Billy Bus and some good wishes to and from the young cast ended a perfect evening.
So anyway, a wonderful day that I shall remember for a long time. I would just like to finish by restating the attraction that this show has for me. I am totally blown away by the extraordinary talents of Rhys, Dean, Aaron, Ollie, Jake, Joe, Connor, Fleur, Francesca, Emily and all the children who perform in this inspirational show. Their abilities are legendary, awesome and out of this world. I am never tired of watching them, supporting and praising them. My only regret is that I never did anything like this when I was a kid. Seeing the show, goes a long way to make up for this.
Long live Billy Elliot.
I had tickets for this evenings show (B6 stalls) bought and paid for some weeks before but, as the week rolled on, it became abundantly clear that Ollie would be performing and as such, I and other BETM friends decided that in reality, although the seats B5 and B6 aren’t too bad, we could better them by getting day seats in A row. Of course – this would mean queuing. We decided it would be worth it. So at 7.45am I and other friends arrived at the VP and had a real good chin wag about BETM and anything else, including putting the world to rights. The two and a quarter hours waiting before the VP Box Office opened went in a flash and we duly got all our seats for both the Matinee & the Evening performance in the very centre of the stalls on the front row. Then off to work and back at the VP at two for the matinee.
Aaron was performing at the matinee and was completely awesome. Aarons Dad wondered up to see us and chat before the show and promised a few photos with Aaron at the stage Door after the show. Photo session brilliant – some lovely photo’s will be handed to Billy Whiz as soon as I get home and then we went over to the Stage Door for a few drinks before the evening performance. Quite soon after we had arrived and after Dad had safely handed Aaron back to the VP, he, joined us for a drink together with Aarons Grand-Parents and Friends. What a lovely little occasion that turned out to be. Cheers to Nick (Aaron’s Dad).
We had a few pints and then were privileged to see one of (if not thee) best Ollie performances ever. What an absolutely fantastic and amazing show - Ollie, Connor and Fleur on top form, a stupendous Small Boy who, as Keith says, sings absolutely everything when he is on stage (including all the naughty bits!) and a sparkling and lively team of Ballet Girls. Also brilliant performances from Genevieve as Mrs W, Daniel Page and Mr B, and the whole ensemble including Matt and his band. Somehow (and it wasn’t the drink) everything really came together for me for this show – it sparkled, it moved me, it made me laugh out loud, it made me think – it reminded me of those awful times in the 80’s it also reminded me how lucky and privileged I am. It had me on the edge of my seat and yes, before anyone says it, the show usually affects me in this way but tonight, it was even more full on for me – it reached different heights altogether – it touched button’s I didn’t even know I had.
I want to talk about individuals because they are really worth of praise. With Ollie, it is very difficult. It’s all been said before. Whether you like him, love him or tolerate him (and I couldn’t care less which category you fall into as it’s irrelevant) I feel totally at ease and comfortable with his excellent performance. He is pure entertainment value. He is (in my view) a very likeable Billy, very easy going, confident and provides a relaxed and experienced performance which spans every possible emotion which he gets across with absolute ease. He is the only Billy that personally engages with his audience through his significant eye contact across the whole of the front of the stalls. I am no dance expert so cannot comment on Ollie’s technical ability but what I do know is that his dancing is highly entertaining and a pleasure to watch, it is interesting, it flows, it is exciting and breathtaking in parts, it is moving at times and most important of all – HE CLEARLY AND VISIBLY LOVES EVERY PART OF IT – his face lights up like a beacon as he delivers each dance of course with the exception of Angry Dance which for this performance was aggressive and fierce. His face frustrated and intense – like thunder no, like a storm no, in reality, his performance of this important sequence was like a Category 7 Hurricane. Absolutely bloody marvellous Ollie, really.
Aaron as I have said played Billy in the afternoon and what a show he gave. He had taken over from Dean the night before but there was no sign whatsoever of any tiredness . I love the way in which Aaron plays Billy – he’s intense, he’s rugged, he’s such a natural and believable young lad straight out of the Easington mould. He’s gruff and he bears a lads street voice which in terms of pitch almost reaches the depths of manhood – this manifests itself both in the spoken dialogue and the musical numbers which he sings with such focus and determination. Whereas I find Ollie relaxing, I am on the edge of my seat with Aaron – although I thoroughly enjoy his performance, he has me on edge for the whole show – not in any negative way but 100% positively probably because he has caught my attention from the very moment he walks on stage at the beginning and is transporting me scene by scene through the troubled times of the story. This guy is a determined young man and even though his ballet (in my very humble and uneducated experience) seems like perfection to me, I know he has the focus and determination (as Fox did) to work hard to continually improve and perfect his dance offerings and to introduce ‘street’ elements including the infamous back flip off the wall at the end of electricity. You show ‘em Aaron – you’ve got all the ingredients of another legendary Billy.
We had Jake in the afternoon and Connor in the evening and both guys gave 150% to their show. I would even say that it was Jakes best ever performance that I have seen – absolutely hilarious and a dream partnership with young Aaron. I will miss the way in which Jake’s Michael kisses the photo of Billy during express when he goes in the next few weeks, I’ll also miss the way in which he uses his glasses as an extra but effective prop to get the message of Michael across and I’ll miss the almost campless approach to the character which he makes work so well for a lad besotted with his best friend – its quite refreshing to see Jake play a lad so confused about his sexuality in such a straight way (ignoring the obvious ‘girly’ things imposed by the writers). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I would like all the Michaels to be played in this way – I would not. To me, its refreshing to see the individuals rendition of the character – it’s what make the show interesting and it’s what makes me want to come back for more. Now Connor, he plays Michael for laughs. I cannot help but enjoy everything that Connor does. Yes it’s different to Jake and that what makes it refreshing. Connor is a natural born comedian. He is the Eric Morecambe or Tommy Cooper of his day. He is the sort of guy who makes you laugh just by walking on the stage. Connor could sing Opera – he demonstrates this with his impersonation of Pavarotti during express – it brings the house down. To be fair, regardless of who is Billy, Connor steals the show during Express and no one can touch him. Much as I like his Pavarotti, the best little Connor sequence has got to be his ‘pixie’ walk away from Billy at the end of the pantomime scene – it takes me 10 minutes to compose myself after seeing this.
I want to pay an enormous tribute to the wonderful Ballet Girls. It was the same team for both shows and they were simply the best. Great periods of naughtiness from the very start and throughout the show interposed with colourful and vibrant formation sequences particularly during ‘shine’ and ‘solidarity’. I dare not single out any one member of this team as they are all strong and focussed and delivered many funny and silly episodes throughout the show.
For most of this week, the part of Mr Braithwaite has been played by Daniel Page. What a find! I appreciate that the talented and versatile Phil Snowden is destined to take on the role but in Daniel, there is a very worthy alternative/understudy. I was lucky enough to meet up for a few minutes with Dan in the pub after the show to congratulate him on his performance and in particular to wax lyrical about his opening dance in B2B. It is really lol stuff and I love the way in which he plays on his size and shape to make the dance even more entertaining. Great work Dan. Also, there was another new guy in the ensemble who started either Monday or Tuesday. This new addition to the cast did an exceptional and perfect job from the very start. I will establish his name and edit the post eventually, but suffice it to say, he is quite recognisable with a shiny small bald head that is not large enough to support a policemans helmet in solidarity!!! I watched every sequence he was involved in and it was like watching a member of the cast who had been with the show for years.
A few photo’s at the Billy Bus and some good wishes to and from the young cast ended a perfect evening.
So anyway, a wonderful day that I shall remember for a long time. I would just like to finish by restating the attraction that this show has for me. I am totally blown away by the extraordinary talents of Rhys, Dean, Aaron, Ollie, Jake, Joe, Connor, Fleur, Francesca, Emily and all the children who perform in this inspirational show. Their abilities are legendary, awesome and out of this world. I am never tired of watching them, supporting and praising them. My only regret is that I never did anything like this when I was a kid. Seeing the show, goes a long way to make up for this.
Long live Billy Elliot.
An ex-Regular and someone who was Passionate about the show but who has now found the rest of the WEST END.
-
Billy Whiz
- Gallery Admin
- Posts: 5537
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:26 pm
- Location: England
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
Thanks everybody for the great reviews. They are warming me up nicely for my mini Billython next week. 
There was a cast member a while back who would fit that description so it could well be that he has returned to the role.burtond wrote:Also, there was another new guy in the ensemble who started either Monday or Tuesday. This new addition to the cast did an exceptional and perfect job from the very start. I will establish his name and edit the post eventually, but suffice it to say, he is quite recognisable with a shiny small bald head that is not large enough to support a policemans helmet in solidarity!!! I watched every sequence he was involved in and it was like watching a member of the cast who had been with the show for years.
.
Billy Whiz is the Gallery Admin. Please send your photos, articles etc to forum.gallery[at]billyelliottheforum.me.uk Please replace [at] with @
In the email can you also please let me know the date where and when the photo(s) was taken, who is in the photo(s) as well as your forum name.
When you send photos to the gallery can you also please PM me to let me know that you have sent them. If I don't receive them after a couple of days I can then chase them up.
Billy Whiz is the Gallery Admin. Please send your photos, articles etc to forum.gallery[at]billyelliottheforum.me.uk Please replace [at] with @
In the email can you also please let me know the date where and when the photo(s) was taken, who is in the photo(s) as well as your forum name.
When you send photos to the gallery can you also please PM me to let me know that you have sent them. If I don't receive them after a couple of days I can then chase them up.
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
Sounds like Mike Scott, one of the swings.
"In everything you do, always be yourself"
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
Sure its not Mike Scott. I asked David Nellist who the new guy was and he only knew his first name. It's definately someone completely new. I think he said his name was Andy something or other. I wished I had listened harder!Chris wrote:Sounds like Mike Scott, one of the swings.
An ex-Regular and someone who was Passionate about the show but who has now found the rest of the WEST END.
-
porschesrule
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9389
- Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:02 am
- Location: Rhode Island, USA
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
There was an Andy Black in the ensemble for a while. Could it be him?
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
Saturday 21st August evening.
Aaron/Connor/Emily. (They make an ACE combination)
Another fantastic show. I haven’t seen Aaron since his first two rather contrasting shows back in June. Aaron has lost all signs of nerves and produced a faultless performance. I would actually say it is still by the book i.e. probably pretty much as is taught in rehearsals. This is not a criticism and it is so nice that each Billy is so different. No doubt Aaron will add his own unique signature to the part, but his innocence and simplicity at present is very refreshing. Work is required in expressing more emotion in The Letter and also his farewell to Mrs W. Of course the dancing was top rate with superb rope work in Boogie and his Electricity is one of my favourite interpretations. When I see Aaron’s name on the board as I enter the theatre in future I now know we are in for a great show.
The whole cast was excellent of course. I always admire them the more on Saturday night after a matinee and a gruelling week.
My Swedish Billy virgin guests thoroughly enjoyed the show. There was huge translation problems with their rather limited English. I let them experience the show without any preconceptions. They had never heard of Billy Elliot and knew none of the relevant politics, history or culture. Thus much of the storyline and dialogue did defeat them and we agreed I would not translate during the show. I don’t think they even knew who Maggie Thatcher was. God doesn’t that make you feel old. I did cheat with the Esquire joke beforehand but as we found it is absolutely impossible to translate into a joke or anything meaningful. I suspect that is the case not just in Swedish but just about any language. Thankfully the show is so rich in spectacular visuals that not understanding all the dialogue isn’t so important. I do admire the Forum members who don’t have English as their first language and manage to understand and enjoy all the dialogue. I asked my guests what was their favourite part of the show. One liked Electricity, one loved Small boys’ contribution through-out and loved him in the Boxing scene and one loved James Fosters’ white tights. (I might explain that my guests where teenage girls). I think that sight will keep her dreaming during the impending long cold winter nights! They all agreed the kids were absolutely amazing and couldn’t believe they were so talented at such a young age. They would love the show to come to Sweden.
Unfortunately another poor audience. The cast were faultless, on great form. It is absolutely mystifying why the audience laugh and clap so differently in different shows. Joe Caffrey agreed with me afterwards and couldn’t put a finger on it. I believe I can accurately gauge an audience by the end of Stars Look Down and I know the actors can too, so it is to their credit that after a muted response to several early scenes they carry on and continue to give one hundred percent. Having said that, on eaves- dropping audience comments as the lights come up it is totally positive comments about how brilliant the show was. Why can’t they just demonstrate that during the show?
Lastly my next show is in two weeks. I believe I’m right in saying that means I will not see Sean Kingsley and Jake Pratt perform again (neither on stage last night either). Many thanks to both for many many great shows, you will be missed and I look forward to seeing you in future projects.
Alex
Aaron/Connor/Emily. (They make an ACE combination)
Another fantastic show. I haven’t seen Aaron since his first two rather contrasting shows back in June. Aaron has lost all signs of nerves and produced a faultless performance. I would actually say it is still by the book i.e. probably pretty much as is taught in rehearsals. This is not a criticism and it is so nice that each Billy is so different. No doubt Aaron will add his own unique signature to the part, but his innocence and simplicity at present is very refreshing. Work is required in expressing more emotion in The Letter and also his farewell to Mrs W. Of course the dancing was top rate with superb rope work in Boogie and his Electricity is one of my favourite interpretations. When I see Aaron’s name on the board as I enter the theatre in future I now know we are in for a great show.
The whole cast was excellent of course. I always admire them the more on Saturday night after a matinee and a gruelling week.
My Swedish Billy virgin guests thoroughly enjoyed the show. There was huge translation problems with their rather limited English. I let them experience the show without any preconceptions. They had never heard of Billy Elliot and knew none of the relevant politics, history or culture. Thus much of the storyline and dialogue did defeat them and we agreed I would not translate during the show. I don’t think they even knew who Maggie Thatcher was. God doesn’t that make you feel old. I did cheat with the Esquire joke beforehand but as we found it is absolutely impossible to translate into a joke or anything meaningful. I suspect that is the case not just in Swedish but just about any language. Thankfully the show is so rich in spectacular visuals that not understanding all the dialogue isn’t so important. I do admire the Forum members who don’t have English as their first language and manage to understand and enjoy all the dialogue. I asked my guests what was their favourite part of the show. One liked Electricity, one loved Small boys’ contribution through-out and loved him in the Boxing scene and one loved James Fosters’ white tights. (I might explain that my guests where teenage girls). I think that sight will keep her dreaming during the impending long cold winter nights! They all agreed the kids were absolutely amazing and couldn’t believe they were so talented at such a young age. They would love the show to come to Sweden.
Unfortunately another poor audience. The cast were faultless, on great form. It is absolutely mystifying why the audience laugh and clap so differently in different shows. Joe Caffrey agreed with me afterwards and couldn’t put a finger on it. I believe I can accurately gauge an audience by the end of Stars Look Down and I know the actors can too, so it is to their credit that after a muted response to several early scenes they carry on and continue to give one hundred percent. Having said that, on eaves- dropping audience comments as the lights come up it is totally positive comments about how brilliant the show was. Why can’t they just demonstrate that during the show?
Lastly my next show is in two weeks. I believe I’m right in saying that means I will not see Sean Kingsley and Jake Pratt perform again (neither on stage last night either). Many thanks to both for many many great shows, you will be missed and I look forward to seeing you in future projects.
Alex
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Billy Whiz
- Gallery Admin
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- Location: England
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
Thanks for the review Alex.
I liked the comment about James Foster's tights.
By the way - Sean Kingsley's final performance was last Saturday night. You are dead right though when you say he will be missed.
I liked the comment about James Foster's tights.
By the way - Sean Kingsley's final performance was last Saturday night. You are dead right though when you say he will be missed.
.
Billy Whiz is the Gallery Admin. Please send your photos, articles etc to forum.gallery[at]billyelliottheforum.me.uk Please replace [at] with @
In the email can you also please let me know the date where and when the photo(s) was taken, who is in the photo(s) as well as your forum name.
When you send photos to the gallery can you also please PM me to let me know that you have sent them. If I don't receive them after a couple of days I can then chase them up.
Billy Whiz is the Gallery Admin. Please send your photos, articles etc to forum.gallery[at]billyelliottheforum.me.uk Please replace [at] with @
In the email can you also please let me know the date where and when the photo(s) was taken, who is in the photo(s) as well as your forum name.
When you send photos to the gallery can you also please PM me to let me know that you have sent them. If I don't receive them after a couple of days I can then chase them up.
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Barry Appleby
- George
- Posts: 583
- Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:52 pm
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
Hi
During the summer months I often covered for days off etc, backstage, we had an 1100 seater theatre at Bridlington. Sometimes we found, that the 2nd performance on Saturdays had what we stagehands, called a "dead" audience, thats being a bit polite to some remarks. God only knows why, as the same show played twice nightly all week, to enthusiastic audiences.
Barry
During the summer months I often covered for days off etc, backstage, we had an 1100 seater theatre at Bridlington. Sometimes we found, that the 2nd performance on Saturdays had what we stagehands, called a "dead" audience, thats being a bit polite to some remarks. God only knows why, as the same show played twice nightly all week, to enthusiastic audiences.
Barry
Re: August 2010 - Reviews - London
Re the audience:
I saw Sister Act on Tuesday. I did review it in a post but will repeat here that Whoopi was sensational. She didn't pretend to act, she certainly couldn't sing, had a bought of dropsy, forgot a few lines yet had the audience in raptures. That included me. I honestly think she could have come on the stage and picked her nose and would have got a three minute ovation. Contrast this with the work rate the entire cast put into a faultless and sublime Billy on Saturday night and the polite applause it produced. I can't really explain it. Do we need an international star to bring in whooping and hollering fans. Most definately not. Can you see Angelina Jolie as Mrs W, Tom Cruise as George? (Well now you mention it)!
Whilst I'm on a Keefyesque rant - I often talk to the audience neighbours at any show and as I said in previous reviews, it rarley takes long to turn the conversation to Billy. I was making my umpteenth trip to Phantom the week before last, the audience around me were all tourists, all coming to see the show simply because when traveling to London, top of the itinerary is a London show. It appears that Phantom tops that list simply because it is probably the most famous, not because it is the best. I ask these tourists if they have heard of Billy. They are often a family where the kids would have much prefered to see a show like Billy, yet almost unanimously they say that they have not heard of Billy or would go to it after seeing other shows first. I'm not saying for a minute we need a top star to bring in the tourist and of course the shows are virtual sell outs anyway, but I feel that our Billy needs to somehow enhance it's reputation and become the top of the itinerary - let Billy be the benchmark by which all other shows are judged. How this is done I admit I don't know. The cast can do no more, but do we need more publicity or a central West End Venue?
PS Phantom only got polite applause too - but then it's not as good as Billy.
Alex (No offence Keefy)
I saw Sister Act on Tuesday. I did review it in a post but will repeat here that Whoopi was sensational. She didn't pretend to act, she certainly couldn't sing, had a bought of dropsy, forgot a few lines yet had the audience in raptures. That included me. I honestly think she could have come on the stage and picked her nose and would have got a three minute ovation. Contrast this with the work rate the entire cast put into a faultless and sublime Billy on Saturday night and the polite applause it produced. I can't really explain it. Do we need an international star to bring in whooping and hollering fans. Most definately not. Can you see Angelina Jolie as Mrs W, Tom Cruise as George? (Well now you mention it)!
Whilst I'm on a Keefyesque rant - I often talk to the audience neighbours at any show and as I said in previous reviews, it rarley takes long to turn the conversation to Billy. I was making my umpteenth trip to Phantom the week before last, the audience around me were all tourists, all coming to see the show simply because when traveling to London, top of the itinerary is a London show. It appears that Phantom tops that list simply because it is probably the most famous, not because it is the best. I ask these tourists if they have heard of Billy. They are often a family where the kids would have much prefered to see a show like Billy, yet almost unanimously they say that they have not heard of Billy or would go to it after seeing other shows first. I'm not saying for a minute we need a top star to bring in the tourist and of course the shows are virtual sell outs anyway, but I feel that our Billy needs to somehow enhance it's reputation and become the top of the itinerary - let Billy be the benchmark by which all other shows are judged. How this is done I admit I don't know. The cast can do no more, but do we need more publicity or a central West End Venue?
PS Phantom only got polite applause too - but then it's not as good as Billy.
Alex (No offence Keefy)