[REVIEW] “Billy Elliot the Musical”: After the film, the musical

Dernière mise à jour : juin 27th, 2022 at 02:58 pm

Get ready for a flashback to the 80’s and the UK miners’ strike with the musical Billy Elliot the Musical. Our review.

Synopsis:

Living in a small mining village in the North East of England, Billy Elliot, a motherless young boy who lives with his dad, his elder brother and his granny, finds out he loves dancing when his dad actually sent him boxing.

Billy Elliot the Musical:
The adaptation of the award winning film

 

Five years after Stephen Daldry’s film Billy Elliot (2000), starring Julie Walters and Gary Lewis, an adaptation of the award winning film (including several BAFTAs) was staged in the West End in London. It has already been 4 years now since Billy Elliot the Musical first came out and it has neither lost its charm nor its dynamism.

Several scenes are painted throughout the musical, riots, a boy who blossoms while he dances, prejudices about ballet dancing, solidarity between the miners and the love of a dad for his children.

Makes you want to jump on stage
and join the dancers

 

What we have here is a very moving musical where the way the comedians act and their enthusiasm carries us into the story. The scenery is clever and we travel from strike pickets to the Billy Elliot’s tatty home in no time. The scenes of confrontation between the authorities and the strikers show us that dancing is not only for girls, as everybody wants Billy to believe, and that it can also express violence.

Add to that a zest of humour and some lively music from Elton John which makes you want to jump on stage and join the dancers.

 

To learn more:

• Official website where you can watch extracts
• Don’t forget the mâtinées are cheaper