Billy Elliot The Musical at Bristol Hippodrome - Review
Posted on: 2016-10-27
Our rating:
I loved every minute of this fabulously funny and poignantly powerful production. Billy Elliot is a masterpiece of musical theatre and a must-see for Bristol theatre-goers.
In 2000 Jamie Bell donned his ballet shoes and danced into the hearts of moviegoers as the young Billy Elliot in the film of the same name. After a musical reinvention by Elton John , the powerful story of this aspiring ballet dancer hit the West End stage in 2005,and has since gone on to captivate audiences around the world. It is currently taking the UK by storm as the touring production criss-crosses the country.
Showing at Bristol Hippodrome until 26th November, this heart-warming tale is sure to be a hit with theatre-goers. That certainly proved the case last night as the audience rose to their feet to deliver a well-deserved standing ovation.
.jpg "Billy Elliot The Musical at Bristol Hippodrome")
Set in a northern mining town against the backdrop of the 1984/85 miners' strike, Billy Elliot the Musical is the inspirational story of an 11 year old boy whose life is changed forever when he stumbles upon a ballet class following his weekly boxing lesson. The story follows Billy as he discovers his passion and raw talent for ballet and struggles against the odds to make his dreams come true, while inspiring his whole community with his determination and grit.
This is a musical unlike any other you will have seen. It’s loud, jam-packed with colourful language and blatant social stereotypes, aggressive and at times difficult to watch; far more political than I imagined or remembered from the film. While full of humour and life it evokes the full desolation and despair of a mining community being torn apart.
This is a production that is emotionally real and impulsive, tugging at the heartstrings but not in a manufactured and cynical way. The audience feels the anger of the workers, Billy’s grief at the death of his mother, the resentment of a community that has been abandoned and the all-consuming joy a young boy finds in the freedom of dance.
In the lead role Haydn May (one of four alternating Billys) was sensational. Dancing his way through one exhausting routine after another he imbued the character with real personality and humanity, which really came to the fore during the heart-breaking letter scene where Billy explores his relationship with his late mother. A scene that brought a tear to the eye of most in the audience, me included.
.jpg "Billy Elliot The Musical at Bristol Hippodrome - Review")
The entire cast are first class. There is amazing support from Annette McLaughlin as the ballet teacher who recognises his potential and becomes a surrogate mother to the young boy and from Martin Walsh as his aggrieved, stubborn and traditional father.
Peter Darling's exhilarating choreography is stunning and the real highlight of the show for me, with every step the ensemble take being executed with precision and effortless grace. Elton John’s music, although not the most memorable of scores, is strong and flows beautifully.
This is a bold and boundary-pushing piece of theatre, at turns thought-provoking and downright daft. One minute you are caught up in a vicious battle between miners and police or discussing domestic violence, the next marvelling at a massive puppet Margaret Thatcher or enthralled by two boys pirouetting surrounded by giant dancing dresses!
I loved every minute of this fabulously funny and poignantly powerful production. Billy Elliot is a masterpiece of musical theatre and a must-see for Bristol theatre-goers.
5/5
Billy Elliot runs until November 26th at Bristol's Hippodrome - for a full schedule and to book tickets click here.
Article by:
Sarah-Jane is an aficionado of film, theatre, culture and the arts. A voracious reader and avid crafter, she can be found volunteering her face painting talents at Bristol Zoo when she's not cementing her reputation as Coalpit Heath’s cake maker extraordinaire. Known to have an opinion on everything she’s never happier than when sharing these with the good folk of Bristol!
