By Dolce Fisher

When I first saw Billy Elliot the movie I never envisioned it becoming a musical theatre production. However, after watching Billy Elliot the Musical at Sydney’s beautiful Capitol Theatre, I am so glad that it was transformed and brought to life.

The music written by Elton John and Lee Hall, who wrote the original screen play for the film, is of course magnificent. Stephen Daldry, who directed the movie was also involved with the stage adaptation, and successfully transformed a fairly good movie into an exceptional stage spectacular. The musical is so much more than I imagined. The audience felt the same way, as the cast received a standing ovation, and that in a mid week performance!

Everyone can identify with Billy, whether a dancer or not, as his story is about pursing his dreams.  We all felt a strong connection to Billy, as his character is so likeable.

All of the characters are so well casted. I fell in love with each of them as the performance progressed. My favorite characters were Billy’s ballet teacher Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy’s Grandma, Mr. Braithwaite and Billy’s best friend Michael. They are all brilliant, and made me laugh and cry all at the same time. The production put the audience on an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end, with many a laugh. The miners are loveable, with their strong ‘Geordie’ accent and really take one back to the era of the Newcastle miner strike. The children are particularly good at speaking and singing in the

accent, keeping it consistent throughout the show.

The set is simple, yet effective. The Elliot’s home has a spiral stair case set on a large stage. This makes one realise how small is the family’s home. The costumes are true to the era and well designed.

In the movie one releases that Billy has lost his mother, but the stage production really brings Billy’s relationship with his mother to life. It shows Billy’s grief and hardship. During Billy’s ballet lessons Mrs. Wilkinson asks him to bring some of his personal belongings to class to help him express himself through dancing. There is a touching moment performed through a song ‘Dear Billy’, where Mrs. Wilkinson and the audience learn about the loss of Billy’s mother.  

One of my favorite scenes features Billy’s Grandma’s, reminiscing through song about her husband. There is a group of men dressed as her young husband that travel across the stage with chairs, and at different points she interacts with them. The lighting and the actors smoking on stage create a powerful and eerie effect. I also thoroughly enjoyed the scene featuring Billy and his cross-dressing best friend, Michael, called ‘Expressing Yourself’. It was hysterical. Much happened that I didn’t expect, and I was kept entertained throughout.

I am really impressed by the performance quality of the young Billy. He is very versatile, being able to sing, act and dance with excellence. Billy’s dance solos, however, are quite strange as they feature an odd mix of dance styles. One minute Billy is break dancing then the next he moves into contemporary. This is a little hard to watch as the genres don’t blend well. The dream scene when the young Billy dances with himself as a grown man holds the audience captive, although I myself was hoping for more technical complexity.

I was impressed with the musical overall. The production finishes wonderfully, with the whole cast in ensemble, which put a cherry on top of a fabulous theatre sundae. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience from start to finish.

I very much recommend Billy Elliot the Musical to all.  The production will be playing until September 7th. If you haven’t seen it yet, get your tickets today!

For further information visit www.billyelliotthemusical.com.au
Get your tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.au