Billy Elliot Review - First prize

On Thursday the 14^th January, Year 9 travelled up to London, to watch Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace theatre, do a short drama workshop, and sprint around the Tat Modern! Everyone had a great time, and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Seeing Billy Elliot was a truly spectacular experience. With a fantastic set, mind-boggling choreography and a rather daring script, this amazing musical really picks you up , puts you in 1984 and shows the agony of the mining families during the strike.

Billy (played by Dean Charles Chapman) lives in a dysfunctional family with his father, older brother, his eccentric Grandma, and the ever-lingering, dark memories of his dead mother.  As the play moves forward, we see Billy slowly find his passion for dancing, which is only made more intense by his new dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson (played by Joanna Riding).  Throughout the story their bond grows stronger as Mrs Wilkinson discovers more about Billy’s tragic past, and his impossible situation at home. When Billy’s father finds our about the dance lessons, he becomes furious and bans Billy from dancing again.  Luckily after this, the mood is brightened by a glorious number from Billy and his best friend Michael (played by Connor Kelly) which will leave you in hysterics.  The way the actors gel together, and the childish innocence with which they act lifts the whole play, and dries your tears from the previous scene.

The music, written by Elton John, is completely unique to the musical, the sons are so soulful, and having them sung in the ‘Geordie ‘accent takes it away from just being a song and dance, and really turns it into a truly believable story.

Although some may disapprove of the language that has been used, it really rings true of that era and,  just like the music, makes it all the more real.  The Director, Stephen Daldry has got every tiny detail perfect, from the dilapidated set, to the actor’s sharp, Geordie accents.

The casting and directing is very well done. Most of the actors have multiple parts, but you barely notice due to the contrast in movement, accent and costume.  Throughout the performance there is a very cleverly set divide in the characters; they are all part of three very different groups, the miners, the policemen, and the dancers.  Between these three groups lies prejudice, hatred and violence.  Of course Billy finds himself in the middle of this conflict, with this conceited family completely against both policemen and dancers, he has to duck and dive across no man’s land in the middle of this adult war, desperately clutching to his dreams of being a dancer.