August 2009 - UK Reviews

[NoDayButToday]

Saturday 8th August Matinee

Ollie/ Connor/ Francesca

Romy on as Grandma
Shaun on as older Billy

Well it's been 9 months since I last saw Billy, but it was worth the wait!! I took my mum to see it for the first time yesterday and she loved it (and now understands why I've been to see it more than once!)

The last time I saw the show was just after cast change back in december, they were great then, but fantastic now. I've been so excited about seeing the show again and I was not disappointed.

Ollie is a brilliant Billy, so much talent for one so small! Beautiful singing voice, great acting and a fabulous, explosive dancer. And that wall flip at the end is just wow. I love how you can see him momentarily psche himself up for it and then go for it!

Connor was great as Michael, the audience were roaring with laughter during expressing yourself, and his look to billy at the end was perfect and heartbreaking.

Francesca and the ballet girls were perfect, its really fun to watch what they are all individually doing in each scene, they are all properly in character!

the adult cast are of course all great, my mum and I both agree that Craig Gallivan's singing voice is wonderful. Audience loved the front of the curtain stuff in the xmas scene, sister act the musical was the mention today!

I can't for the life of me remember who the small boy and tall boy were (hopefully someone on here can tell me) but they were both fantastic, lots of aaaahs from the audience for small boy, and lots of gasps for tall boy when he's smashed against the curtain by billy!!

A brilliant performance, and hopefully it won't be another 9 months till I'm back again!!

[pexcornel]

I love how you can see him momentarily psche himself up for it and then go for it!

Yeah! I noticed that too. He takes 0.0001 seconds to look at the wall and KABOOM

[pinknick103]

Sat 8th - eve show
Brad, Jake and Francesca
Joe, Craig, Ann and Kate
Sean Kingsley
Trevor Fox
Barnaby
Connor as small boy, Thomas as tall boy
Unsure of the name of the ballet girl team

What a great birthday present seeing a show as powerful as this ones performance. I know I always say its fab, but it really really was.
Extra good tonight for me as first time seeing Jake and Francesca, and they were both brilliant. Also so pleased to see Barnaby, having not seen him since 3/7/09.
Express was the highlight of the show for me tonight. Jake is so so funny, and at times, Brad seemed to be laughing and I did wonder if he was going to be able to keep it together. Jake adds loads little extra touches. I really liked how he kissed the polaroid photo!!!! He is perfect in the role.
Angry dance seemed so so angry tonight. Brad seemed to be screaming quite a bit. Another dance which just seems to get better and better each time.
Trevor Fox quite funny as usual - he made some comment about Brad chatting up the ballet girls as he was a little late on to read out the raffle ticket !!!!
Dream ballet was mind blowing. I havnt seen Barnaby and Brad together until tonight, but they worked perfectly together. The timing seem completely spot on. Great spin at the end and the audience loved it.
Electricity - beautiful to watch. His ballet is just perfect. The spins at the end are amazing, and Brad got a wonderful well deserved applause.
Goodbye scene with Mrs W - very emotional - both Brad and Kate seemed choked up. Fantastic acting.
All the adult cast were on top form tonight. Ann was as funny as ever. Craig was very powerful and angry, yet towards the end, in deep into the groung and the finale, its as though he is really proud of Billy. Joe was great - I love him in the audition scene when he makes his voice go really deep. Mr B also seemed extra funny in born to boogie tonight.
Also a big well done to the ballet girls - 1st time ive seen this team - they were brialliant. As were small and tall boy.It was just perfect from start to end.
A great night as always xxx

[maria]

Hey, thanks for the great reviews everyone. Love reading them all - takes me back to the VPT... And makes me want to get back there soon - hopefully before the year is out, but definitely for birthday #5!

And happy belated birthday pinknick103!!!

[Bungie]

Great reviews from NoTodayButToday and pinknick103. When you can't see the show that often its great to be able to read about it, and the performances. For instance Ollie did the wall flip, Francesca did both Saturday shows- wow, and Jake and Connor are so funny, Brad is, well, the Brad we all know and admire. There are quite a few of the cast,right from oldest to youngest, and the different combinations I have to see. Its going to take a long time. The thing is it doesn't matter who performs on a particular show,we always get top class performances, collectively and individually. And lets spare a thought for the people who make it possible. They identify the talent then do everyting thats needed to produce the wonderful BETM for us. Please,please, keep the reviews coming.

[bubsycm]

Mon 10th Aug

Billy- Tom
Michael- Jake
Debbie- Fleur
Small Boy- Connor
Tall Boy- Ollie Gardner
Normal cast except Phil Snowden as George.

(I was right with my guessing of who would play Billy, Michael and Debbie! Score! )


Tom last night was absolutely brilliant. I actually forgot just how good he is. He is such an emotional Billy but also manages to be a happy one at the same time. He is a very talented actor and his Angry Dance was bloody brilliant- the best one I've ever seen!! His throat must surely hurt after all the screaming, and I have never witnessed such hard kicking of the toilet shack. If there's ever a time you're going to cry during the show it's when Tom raises his shaking hand to his mother's hair in The Letter. This part is always the most emotional for me but when Tom did it last night I almost burst into tears. I think it's the added shaking that did it, and the way his face crumbles. The funniest bit of Tom's performance is definitely the boxing scene. Absolutely hilarious. I wish I had a video of him putting off Michael- it would certainly cheer me up if I was ever down!

Second time of seeing Jake, I loved him the first time so was very excited to see him again. He didn't disappoint. He is quite an awkward Michael but that's what makes him so believable. I love the added touches he puts in to his performance, they're things that you don't know if he is doing as Jake or as Michael! For example when he cleans his glasses a few times at the start of Express. I don't think Jake is a natural dancer and there are times when he doesn't seem to be quite in time but, like I said, it doesn't matter as it's his awkwardness which makes the character work. Once he starts tapping I think he does a very good job though!

Fleur is such a brilliant Debbie. I have seen her a few times now and to be honest I am partial to her portayal. I love her surliness but she also has a kind of innocence.

I was very surprised when Ollie came on as Tall Boy. It took me until the end to definitely decide that it was Ollie, as even though I was in the front row I kept thinking maybe he just had a Tall Boy twin Does anyone know if Ollie has done the part of Tall Boy before? I felt like I may have seen him before and not realised- there was just something quite familiar about it. He did a good job, especially as Posh Boy- maybe I wasn't far off when I said he looked too well bred to be an Elliot, haha. I love seeing two Billy's in one show.

Connor the small boy is so cute. He doesn't play the role as very smiley but it makes him so endearing. He delivers his lines very clearly and always looks as though he knows what's going on, occasionally you'll notice the little ones waiting for their part but Connor is just very natural.

All the other cast were brilliant as usual! Kate only has a few weeks left as Mrs W (according to her) and I'll be sad to see her go, but obviously she will be back to being clipboard lady so won't be going too far!

I love this show so much, I'm sorry to not comment on all the cast but let me say they are all so appreciated and loved.

Edit: Found out it was Ollie's first time as Tall Boy.

[patc]

Tall Boy- Ollie Gardner

That's interesting, indeed. I don't know if Ollie has played TB before. The only Billy I can think of that I actually saw playing TB was Josh with Corey playing Billy on the day. I saw Shaun several times and Daniel once playing SB when SB's were in short supply.

Pat

[bubsycm]

Tall Boy- Ollie Gardner

That's interesting, indeed. I don't know if Ollie has played TB before. The only Billy I can think of that I actually saw playing TB was Josh with Corey playing Billy on the day. I saw Shaun several times and Daniel once playing SB when SB's were in short supply.

Pat

I was just reading through the Tall and Small Boy thread and I came across this post from me!

Posted July 15th

Anyone know who was on last night? Both blond- tall boy similar looking to Ollie Gardner. Do we have a photo of each of the tall and small boys? I never know who's who..

Haha, maybe it was Ollie before too!

Edit: Found out it was Ollie's first time as Tall Boy. So he also has a lookalike!

[bexta007]

Sat august 8th evening
Well what can i say for my first show there was absolutely nothing i could fault i loved it. My Billy was Brad he was such a brilliant actor now have billy stars in my eyes and can’t wait to go back again. I thought grandma was excellent she had so much energy watching her made me feel tired what a star. The letter scenes were definately one of my favorites and i really can not get the song out of my head. To top the night off we had Michael Ball sat in the audience with us and the people i went with made the night even more special.

[Billy Whiz]

So glad you enjoyed your first show bexta007. Your first Billy is always special.

As for having Michael Ball at the show. Finally he found his way to a decent musical (only joking of course)