July 2009 - UK Reviews

[bubsycm]

to bubsycm, tanner is a good ballet dancer, however have you seen tom?

Yar, I have seen all the other Billys and love them all! Tanner is the only one I havent seen which is why I really want to. Especially with these reviews!

[Clazzimay]

Tanner is fantastic, as are all the Billys, I would not be disappointed with any of them, they all have something different to bring to the role & all are immensely talented. Not one is better than the other , I love em all!!

[ERinVA]

Here is a review from Brad Auerbach a US based writer, on the Entertainment Today website.

If you have the time or pounds for only one play in London, make Billy Elliot your choice.

http://www.entertainmenttoday.net/content/view/818/45/

[pinknick103]

Saturday 25 July Evening

Barnaby,who was not very well.But the show must go on and he supported Tanner brilliantly.He is by far the best Older Billy we have had and I am sure he is a major factor in making this number so exciting.Up on the wire a lot of the work is done by the wire operators aloft but Tanner assumes all the right positions and movements that make it a wonderful visual experience.

Den

I totally agree Den - Barnaby is amazing. I am always so thrilled when I see him walk on stage. He brings extra dimension to the show. His dancing is so graceful, his facial expression is so warm, and he is such a nice guy. I cannot imagine the show without him.
Hope you get well soon Barnaby xxxx

[dwallen]

Saturday July 25th Matinee

Billy: Ollie - Michael: Dean - Debbie: Fluer

Another wonderful show and the second time I have seen Ollie in the role of Billy. The first time was his debut show and he has certainly grown into the role. I enjoyed his portrayal of Billy which shows him as a very troubled and angry boy at times. He sings and dances very well and moves around the stage with great confidence. He speaks clearly as well and every word can be heard. His singing voice is very good indeed and he has no trouble hitting the highest notes. I must mention the ballet scene which was performed so well. Billy and his older self were perfectly matched throughout and I thought that Ollie was going to disappear completely as he was flown so high.

Expressing with Dean was very funny and both boys obviously enjoyed working together. Incedentally as an aside I bought the latest programme and it doesn't include Dean in it although it was in the previous edition. Anyone know why?

The more I see this show the more I admire the performances of the ballet girls. If you watch the routines carefully you cannot fail to realise how funny the individual performances of the girls are. To get the full effect you do need to see the show more than once as it is quite hard to follow all of the action at one time.

I enjoyed Phil Snowden as Dad and felt that his aditional lines contributed to making him seem very real in the part. This is the first time I had seen him in the role. The ballet school scene was very well acted and funny.

The whole cast as usual supported each other well and gave their usual very strong performances.

The theatre was not completely full, at least where I was in the Dress Circle, and seemed a little quiet at first but did warm up and there was the usual standing ovation at the end.

A very good show and another great afternoon at the Victoria Palace for me. Incidentally I always look forward to the Finale because of the obvious enjoyment that the cast have in doing it. After all the drama of the show it lifts the spirits and send everyone out of the Theatre on a high.

[hammy]

Incedentally as an aside I bought the latest programme and it doesn't include Dean in it although it was in the previous edition. Anyone know why?

Dean's gone into training for Billy and hasn't performed in quite some time

[dwallen]

Thanks, Hammy, for the information about Dean. It was good to see him on Saturday afternoon - he was very good.

[Todd]

Dean's gone into training for Billy and hasn't performed in quite some time

Glad to hear he's still part of the show's future. I was thinking he had finished his time as Michael and had moved on for good. Assuming he resurfaces in the future as Billy, I believe that would make him the first of the child performers to have been cast as small boy, Michael and Billy isn't that right ?

I seem to remember reading on the Forum in the early days of the show that both Ryan Longbottom and Shaun Malone did an occasional fill-in as small boy, but I don't think anyone's done what Dean is hopefully going to get to do. Kind of strange that he would come back and play Michael in the middle of his Billy training.

[Billy Whiz]

Kind of strange that he would come back and play Michael in the middle of his Billy training.

Nick Evans told me that Dean would be around to use as a Michael if ever needed. I suppose this is why he never had an official leaving show.

[bubsycm]

I'm glad it was for a reason such as that. It made me sad that he didn't get a proper send off!
How long do you think Billy training will be?