May 2009 - UK Reviews

[chocchipcookie26]

I saw Tom too..he's tiny! I think Fox is taller than him now but not sure! So small

Do you think? I still think of Fox as the tiny one!
How did you enjoy Row C?

Haha, see, Fox or Brad is who you see!

I'm not sure.. just Tom did look tiny.. but i agree.. Fox is the tiny one Although Ollie looked pretty tiny too when i saw him in the van on Monday! They all look tiny compared to how they look in pictures..it's weird..Lewis did too!

Row C was good Best seat i've sat in though, has to be Row L Aisle seat.. and i quite like the Dress Circle too

I knoww! Weird.. but pretty neat.. it's gone: Fox Brad Fox/Brad Fox Brad!
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[patc]

Thursday Matinee 28th May

Tom/Fox, Dean Charles, Annabelle

Well, as johnnyc has advised we got two Billys for the price of one for the second time in a few weeks due, it was explained to the audience, to a technical hitch.

It certainly is all happening on Thursday matinees these days and, into the bargain, Phil Snowden turned in a sensational performance as Dad. I had seen this happen only once before so it was a big, big treat to see it again. You always know that Phil is going to do things differently and it was ever so enjoyable. I think the only male parts he hasn't played at this stage are Billy and Michael and I bet he could do those, too, if asked!! Not sure about the wall-flip, though.

Up to his departure Tom had rattled the show along in his usual style. (BTW, we saw what Den meant when he referred in his review to Tom's, ahem, X-rated performance in the Boxing scene!!!! Bl--dy H--l.)
I was both dreading and looking forward to the Letter at the same time (I didn't want johnnyc to see my quivering lips and blinking eyes) and, sure enough, Tom's mega acting and mega-sobs left everyone sobbing their hearts out for him.

Dean Charles was nothing short of brilliant. B20 is the perfect seat to watch those wonderful expressive eyes convey a hundred different emotions in such a short space of time. I could watch it all day. At the end of the Miners' kitchen scene (after Electricity) when he runs off through the red door just ahead of Billy "to get outta here" he made a most extraordinary "gesture" that I hope I will see again to determine exactly what it was intended to convey

Annabelle was fabulous and the scene in front of the line of policemen was pure joy to observe. It is only a short scene but Annabelle gets every facial expression perfect and her way of saying "Wayne Sleep" with a kind of popping "peh" at the end is hilarious.

What more can you say about the utterly professional Fox? To come on cold and then deliver a performance like that in Part 2 was just incredible. As usual, his Electricity was breathtaking. Two little lads in B22/23 were bouncing up and down on their seat cushions and gasping in awe at what they were watching and the wall-flip with what seemed a very short run-up was spectacular. The applause that followed was such that it hardly took any time for the smile to come and the crowd, as always, loved it.

Thanks to the wonderful cast and crew of this wonderful show it was another great afternoon to remember and cherish. The only downside is, wait for it, the ice cream is now 3 quid


Pat

[johnnyc]

Thursday evening - 28 May.

I ran into patc and Malcolm at the matinee, but I didn't see anyone familiar at the evening performance. Poor Fox ended up doing 1.5 shows today, as he was on for tonight and he also stepped in for Tom during the 2nd act of the matinee. By the way, I talked to a person at my hotel who attended the matinee. This person thinks Tom was jarred when he landed from the piano flip, and that likely provoked the nose bleed that became more apparent as he was decending the stairs to sneak out of the house to meet Mrs Wilkenson.

Despite doing the half show a few hours earlier, Fox was a bundle of energy. Lewis was Michael, and oh my has that kid ever grown since I last saw him in December! His voice is lower too, but the "attitude" that made him special is still there. The audience was different too. The matinee audience was somewhat lethargic, and not giving a standing ovation at the end, but the evening folks were alive and well. There were audible gasps when Fox did those fantastic moves during Electricity, and the applause started well before the end of the piece and became a roar when he did the back flip off the board! And as is his custom, Fox kept a straight face early on as he held his poise, but that famous grin soon took over and became a huge smile that fueled even more applause from an audience that had been on it's feet since the wall jump. Some of the audience stood and clapped as soon as Fox returned to the stage and stepped forward for his solo bow and then there was another standing ovation at the final curtain call.

Some ladies threw flowers on the stage close to some of he ballet girls and took photos at the end, signaling that this troupe had just given their final performance. And there were a lot of tears at the stage door when the girls appeared. Sorry, I never found out the name of the troupe that was departing.

Now then, if any other forum people were present, someone can do a proper review. I don't do those.

[Todd]

The only downside is, wait for it, the ice cream is now 3 quid
Pat

Man, that's about $4.50 for us Yanks. I wouldn't complain, except we pay about a dollar less for an ice cream cup (they're called frosty malts here) at sporting events in the states . . . .. and it's about 3 times bigger than the ones they serve at the V.P.

[Billy Whiz]

Phil Snowden turned in a sensational performance as Dad. I had seen this happen only once before so it was a big, big treat to see it again. You always know that Phil is going to do things differently and it was ever so enjoyable. I think the only male parts he hasn't played at this stage are Billy and Michael

You mean he's done Small and Tall Boy - boy what a talent

Great reviews Pat, Johnnyc and chocchipcookie26. They are really appreciated.

Best wishes to the Ballet Girls that finished yesterday and also on Tuesday. I'm sure you will all have had a wonderful time in Billy and made friendships that will last a lifetime. Well done everybody. If the Tall Boys were leaving then best wishes to them also.

[johnnyc]

Thanks to the wonderful cast and crew of this wonderful show it was another great afternoon to remember and cherish. The only downside is, wait for it, the ice cream is now 3 quid

Yes, but I could swear the ice cream tasted even better now that it is more expensive.

[johnnyc]

I forgot to mention in my "comments" about the Thursday evening show that not only were stalls B15 and 16 empty, but so were stalls C14 and 15!! I was tempted to move to B15 for the first act, then to C15 for the second act. That would have been a real treat. But I decided that stalls F17 was a good enough seat so I stayed put.

[Billy Whiz]

I've just got back from the VP and need to get to bed. Before I go though I just want to say that tonight I saw the best Billy Elliot show I have ever seen. Brad's acting has been taken to a new level. It was quite outstanding. Thank you to Brad, Dean, Megan and all the cast for a wonderful evening. I was obviously not the only person that enjoyed it as the audience were loud and enthusiastic.

[chocchipcookie26]

WOW! High praise Brad is a wonderful actor..any chance of a review?
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[Billy Whiz]

WOW! High praise Brad is a wonderful actor..any chance of a review?
x

Well I'm sat in McDonald's at the moment with very little battey life left in by laptop. I will try and write a review tomorrow but anybody that has read my previous attempts will confirm - I don't write very good reviews. Photography is my game, not the written word.