Billy Elliot the Forum

Thank you everybody for the wonderful reviews. They are the next best thing to being there.

Keep 'em coming.

Lola wrote:Deka – Last time I saw David Bardsley twice and I must say both portrayals were very different! Honestly, I preferred David’s portrayal in Deep Into the Ground and the Royal Ballet scenes – too much crotch grabbing from Deka for my taste (especially unnecessary in the scene with the clipboard lady).

I agree about the crotch grabbing. I don't like it.

Thursday January 28th

As April 9th moves ever closer, there seems to be a renewed bond throughout the entire cast. It’s as if they want to make each show as special as possible. As a result we, the audience, are being treated a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed.

A best ever performance from Brodie was the fare for the matinee. With Nathan, they produced the quickest dual shoe change seen and had to settle for a draw. Expressing was a complete hoot, as was the earlier boxing scene.

A rare moment in the letter as Brodie managed to grab the letter the second time from Ruthie. Slight pause ensued before she re-grabbed the letter.

Electricity with Brodie is always going to be special. His ballet looks to be so precise and clean. With all his added tricks it is, without doubt, his crowning glory.

As always Nathan’s solemn look at the end is a tear-jerker. Thank god we have the finale to cheer us up.

Thomas took over for the evening. You never quite know what to expect and this was no different. There are always new expressions. His look of complete bewilderment during Shine is always a highlight. His embrace with Ruthie at the end of B2B seems to get longer every time and he gets such emotion into the Letter it’s a wonder he keeps as composed as he does.

Ben was Michael and he has really come into his own. He has his own style and many differences. The long slow walk at the end of the winter scene whilst shaking his tutu is quite a sight. He comes across as naturally funny and doesn’t force any of the comedic elements of his role.

At the beginning of Shine, Billy has to trap the keys between his feet and flip then up to catch them, something that Thomas has obviously done many times before. This time instead of the keys being flicked up, they shoot forward across the stage. He calmly walks forward after them and then looks on in horror as they fly off the front of the stage. Left at the front of the stage not knowing quite what to do with the Ballet girls pouring in through the door, Chris Hatt saves the day by picking up the keys which were lodged in the rail at the front of the stage and throws them back.

A little bit of added entertainment to another truly memorable day.

Thursday 28th Jan and Wed 27th Jan.

jmh2014 wrote: we, the audience, are being treated a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed.

I second that. Amazing full-blown performances every show. No let up in entertainment value.

A rare moment in the Letter as Brodie managed to grab the letter the second time from Ruthie.

That was a first for me. Very funny from a fan's viewpoint as you could almost hear Ruthie say, "You little bxxxer".

Electricity with Brodie is always going to be special. His ballet looks to be so precise and clean.

Yes, Brodie performed a monumentally powerful and graceful exhibition of the greatest individual dance ever created for the stage. The musical arrangement for this piece is one of the most complete and exciting as I have ever heard.

As always Nathan’s solemn look at the end is a tear-jerker.

Breaks your heart no matter how many times you see it. Nathan also did the Wed show (which I watched from the DC again this week) and his splits in the Winter Scene were quite probably the best I have ever seen. It's the way he does those twirling backwards leaps that puts him in perfect position.

At the beginning of Shine, Billy has to trap the keys between his feet and flip then up to catch them, something that Thomas has obviously done many times before. This time instead of the keys being flicked up, they shoot forward across the stage. He calmly walks forward after them and then looks on in horror as they fly off the front of the stage. Left at the front of the stage not knowing quite what to do with the Ballet girls pouring in through the door, Chris Hatt saves the day by picking up the keys which were lodged in the rail at the front of the stage and throws them back.

For the fans this was one of those golden fun moments and it was an advantage to be already familiar with Thomas' modus operandi and his now legendary facials. As the keys had been originally thrown over the set (after the Boxing scene) they landed in quite a backwards position, not exactly flying out the back door but back far enough. How they managed to end up where they did only Thomas knows but I will never forget the look on his face when it happened. Chris' lightning reflexes proved he could well be keeping wicket for England's next test Series.

Thomas delivered his usual busy-as-a-bee top-notch performance one of the many highlights being his emotionally charged tear-jerker Letter and, as you say, the continuing hugging battle between him and Ruthie is always a "let's see what happens this time" event at all his shows. What an entertainer. We are completely spoiled.

Ben was Michael and he has really come into his own.

Ben has great stage presence, great smiler, great dancer, full of beans and a pure joy to watch in action. I loved every second of it.

What a servant to the show Connie is. By my reckoning she will just about make 18 months in the show by closure time in April. Both her performances I saw this week were absolutely top-drawer. Sadly, Beatrice won't have the opportunity for such longevity but she is proving to be a great capture and delivered another beauty at the matinee. Both girls were superb with great timing at the front of stage short scene with "me Mam's dead" Billy.

Returning to Wed evening this was my second chance to see Euan from the DC and he was phenomenal. With wonderful pacing and skill he took us through all of the emotions, thrills and spills that follow Billy over the three hours.

Up there your head needs to have much more RAM to be able to store the so much more data you get to take in. The perfect timing and co-ordination of movement with the floor lighting and the music is really breathtaking. The Dinnington girls did all three shows and the number of movements (steps, bodies, arms, legs, heads whilst upright AND flat on the floor) they are required to do in quick and precise succession is mind bending. I don't know how they remember them all. There must be hundreds. The Pink Dress section of Shine is a sight to behold with the gloriously coloured floor lighting resembling a giant flat floral arrangement.

Other great floor lighting experiences are seen in Dream Ballet as the stage floor smoke changes colour and shape. After Billy comes down off the wire he and Older Billy dance the final steps across a rectangular corridor of light. In Angry Dance, as Billy begins he is in a rounded circle of light but when he rolls across the floor and stands up on the square preparing for the hut to come up the light quickly morphs into a square shape. In the pit scene the fight between Dad and Tony is on a clay-like bed of light but this reverts back to floorboards as they "return" to the hall. When the Miners sit on the rows of chairs in We Once Were Kings the row of chairs on each side sit on rectangular shaped light which fades out as they stand up to come to the front centre stage.

I'm raising my hat tonight to Mike Scott, who is the only one to have been with the show since the beginning and was a terrific Posh Dad/Scab in all three shows I watched this week.

Pat

Saturday Matinee

Dad - David Bardsley
George - Craig Armstrong
Mrs W - Wendy Summerville
Older Billy - Lee Hoy

patc wrote:
Up there your head needs to have much more RAM to be able to store the so much more data you get to take in. The perfect timing and co-ordination of movement with the floor lighting and the music is really breathtaking. The Dinnington girls did all three shows and the number of movements (steps, bodies, arms, legs, heads whilst upright AND flat on the floor) they are required to do in quick and precise succession is mind bending. I don't know how they remember them all. There must be hundreds. The Pink Dress section of Shine is a sight to behold with the gloriously coloured floor lighting resembling a giant flat floral arrangement.

Other great floor lighting experiences are seen in Dream Ballet as the stage floor smoke changes colour and shape. After Billy comes down off the wire he and Older Billy dance the final steps across a rectangular corridor of light. In Angry Dance, as Billy begins he is in a rounded circle of light but when he rolls across the floor and stands up on the square preparing for the hut to come up the light quickly morphs into a square shape. In the pit scene the fight between Dad and Tony is on a clay-like bed of light but this reverts back to floorboards as they "return" to the hall. When the Miners sit on the rows of chairs in We Once Were Kings the row of chairs on each side sit on rectangular shaped light which fades out as they stand up to come to the front centre stage. Pat

Watching this show from the DC, can't add much to the above. It brings home the grand spectacle of the show that can be missed in the front stalls.

The large amount of alternates didn't detract from the show at all, if anything it adds some freshness to it.

Nat was on as Billy and was faultless again. Seeing his Electricity from the DC was even more breath-taking than normal.

During MCMT Bradley (Michael) while dancing was interacting with Grandma. You could see both of them enjoying this moment.

When Billy pushes Posh Boy into the curtain, it looks like his head actually connects.

A visit to the DC is definitely recommended.

Saturday Evening

Thomas/Nathan/Hollie

Dad – David Bardsley
George – Crag Armstrong
Older Billy – Lee Hoy

SB George N started the show and would produce three of the loudest shouts during the boxing scene. This would be taken another level by Hollie who delivered the loudest “d-head” line heard. She did take an unfortunate tumble in the pre Solidarity scene but instead of being put up she used this to bellow at Billy until adopting a more sympathetic tone after “me mam’s dead.” She really has come into her own over the last few weeks.

Thomas and Nathan made their debut together and they are the perfect foil for each other. The chemistry between them in Expressing cannot be taught. The little looks between them convey pure enjoyment which is easily conveyed to the entire theatre.

Abundant emotion during the letter, followed by copious fun in B2B, with Phil Snowden stealing the scene as always.

Thomas is still winning the “hug battle” with Ruthie. At one point she had both feet in the air trying to free herself, before Thomas finally let go.

Nathan’s “bit o’ ballet” contains some exaggerated head and neck movements and this time they were perfectly mimicked by Thomas.

Dream Ballet and Electricity were both exceptionally graceful with the latter leading to a partial standing ovation.

David Bardsley never puts in a bad performance whether as Dad or George, and whilst he may not be as physical as Deka I really like his portrayal as Dad.

Special mention to Craig as George who, while showing off his dancing skills after congratulating Billy, performed the splits perfectly. This caught everyone by surprise, including Thomas by the look on his face.

It doesn’t seem possible that the shows can get any better, but the entire cast are finding ways to ensure that it is does.