Billy Elliot the Musical

My favorite genre of theatre is musical, and my overall favorite form of entertainment is musical theatre. I had the opportunity to get rush tickets to Billy Elliot the Musical at The Victoria Palace Theatre for only £19.50. Personally, whenever I get a very good deal for a show, I am automatically more excited to attend than usual. We were able to get front row seats, which I thought was a steal. I had not watched the movie version of the musical, nor did I have any prior knowledge regarding the plot. However, I was elated to attend the show, just due to the fact that it fulfilled my basic requirements of 1) musical 2) great bargain.  
I watched it with my mom and a few flatmates, and it was amazing! We boarded a bus to go there, but there was too much traffic. Thus, we had to get off and take the tube. After getting off the tube, we moved as quickly as possible, basically sprinting to the theatre. Feeling very flustered, we quickly showed our tickets to the attendant and took our seats. The show started 10 minutes late, which means, we rushed for nothing. But we were not phased! We were way too pumped up with adrenaline and ready for the show to start. In the meantime, I noticed that the pit orchestra was a few feet away from us. I love documenting stuff, so I found the need to take a picture. I mistakenly forgot to turn off the flash, thus my flash went off on the pit orchestra. I could not even see them because there was a black veil, but I know that someone said something along the lines of “Don’t do that.”  

Feet on stage barrier

Pit Orchestra

Yasi Photo Bomb, Me/Mom

Conductor

 

Flatmates/Mom

Billy/cute little boy

Show began with a little boy, very adorable, getting onto the stage from the audience, watching an old film with a lollipop. I could not help but just stare at this little boy - he was ridiculously cute. Then, the curtain opens and you see many of the children with their parents. The audience knows from the beginning, that this musical is focused on the perspective of children. The adults bicker about stuff and then sing a song. The introduction was not very entertaining because it was too chaotic, and I had no idea what was really going on. I think it would have been better to start the show at Billy Elliot’s house with his brother, father, mother, and grandmother living happily, before all the upcoming conflict. The set for Billy Elliot’s house required us to use our imagination. Billy Elliot’s bed was on top of a staircase, in the middle of the kitchen. This type of set served good use throughout the play, because it was somewhat of a haven for Billy to climb up, to escape conflict. It also forced the audience to pay close attention to Billy when he was on his bed, because he was so elevated off the ground. I personally think that the plot was mediocre. Boy, Billy Elliot wants to dance. Dad wants him to box. There is a strike going on, and dancing is considered impractical and high-class. There is a judgment on the classes. Billy gets help from his dance instructor. Billy fights with his family. Dad changes his mind on Christmas day, oh the originality. Billy tries out for the dance school and gets in. Everyone is happy. Yipee! 

So if it was not the plot or the songs that were entertaining, what was it? It was the acting! The actors were great. Billy Elliot, played by Ryan Collison, was a great performer. He danced well, showed his emotions well, and convinced me, as well as others, that he was truly a young boy who loved his mother and desired to be a dancer. I think what made the show particularly engaging was due to stage proximity. There was a moment when one of the child actors, a young boy who is a homosexual, winked at my flatmate, Yasi, and mouthed "call me," with a phone gesture. In addition, the best moment of the entire musical was when Billy receives his letter from the dance academy and reads, "Billy Elliot is queer?" The dad grabs the envelope out of his hand, and says "Esquire." This was for some odd reason, very, very funny for me and my flatmates. Thus, we laughed, uncontrollably, for more than the allotted time. The cast on stage, laughed longer than they were supposed to. I got to see the actors break out of character and laugh hysterically with us. It felt very personal. Overall, the show was fun, and I feel like this is partially because children are given slack for their innocence, lack of experience, and cuteness. It served its purpose of being entertaining. I recommend you go to the box office and get rush tickets. It is definitely worth the 19 quid. Also, make sure you watch it with people who you know will have a good time.