On my list of must see West End productions was Billy Elliot. Billy Elliot takes place in the mid-1980s in a mining town somewhere in the UK. There are strong themes of the working class, the father-son relationship, and the struggle to get out of the mining town. While these themes can be cross-cultural, these are specifically aimed towards the British working class. And for that reason, I felt that this production of Billy Elliot was more effective in London than when I saw it in New York.
Again this is an issue of the audience and interaction between the audience and the actors. These actors seemed to have a much stronger accent here than in New York. And while native Brits may have been able to hear the nuances in the accents, I was simply struggling to understand the dialogue. However, regardless of my experience, the audience seemed to connect with the underlying themes of class struggle and poverty. Similarly to how I feel Jersey Boys works better with an American audience that understands the Jersey subculture, I felt that Billy Elliot works better here with a British audience that understands the subculture of the British mining towns in the 1980s. And while a lot of the American jokes in other musicals that play on presidents or American pop culture don’t work as well, the jokes about Maggie Thatcher were met with much more laughter and appreciation here in London.
As for the production itself, there are two key dance numbers that really stand out. The Act 1 closing song “Angry Dance” is a strong dance number in which the frustrated Billy dances and stomps his frustrations out in a harshly lit and jarring number in which you can literally see Billy’s anger. The other standout number is “Swan Lake” in which the young Billy and what is presumably his future self dance a duet to “Swan Lake” as if to show the young Billy’s dancing potential. This is a beautiful, artistic piece that is very dramatic and moving. Not to give anything away, but through some beautiful acrobatics, this dance is a very awe-inspiring and touching moment that makes Billy Elliot deserving of the 2009 Tony.
In addition to these two key numbers, the ensemble rally songs and the miner’s folk songs were very strong in portraying the fight of the working class unions against the corporate and government systems. When the miners sing in solidarity as they are lowered into the mine, the hollow chorus and the bright back lighting creates a mournful and lasting impression.
During this particular production, Scott McKenzie was scheduled to perform the role of Billy Elliot. He was very strong vocally and you would have never known he was sick. But halfway through Act 1, the production was stopped as Scott wasn’t feeling well. Aaron Watson was brought in to continue the show. Aaron was a more technically advanced dancer and felt slightly older, so the replacement seemed like an almost natural progression of Billy’s character as he grew as a dancer.
Overall I went into this performance knowing that I already liked the production. However, the British audience and their stronger connection to the themes and background of the story created an even more dramatic and immersive performance than the already excellent NYC production.
-Rachel Yeung
This is an excellent review of Billy Elliott. I particularly like your comparison between the US and UK versions and the importance of social context and awareness for an audience. Also, your reaction to a performer falling ill during a show is fascinating historically. I hope other members of the audience were able to accept the change as sympathetically and intellectually as you. Very interesting indeed. Dr Q
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