Billy Elliot – the Musical
IT HAS to be said that – like The Boy from Oz – whoever plays the title role in Billy Elliot – the Musical either makes or breaks the success of the production.
And in young Jonas de Hoog this production soars as a result of the enormous talent of this young performer. Dancing with Townsville’s Ann Roberts School of Dance since he was seven, Jonas gave a performance which, while clearly reminiscent of Jamie Bell’s definitive film role, was natural, relaxed, captivating and ultimately appealing. He managed to capture the gentleness of the character who, despite not having the vocabulary, was inspired with a furious passion for dance.
And who could forget the lineage of this musical? It is hardly credible that it is 25 years since director Stephen Daldry’s Oscar-nominated wonderful coming-of-age film first hit the movie screens. Written and adapted by Lee Hall, who also wrote the musical script and lyrics, Jamie Bell became the youngest ever winner of a BAFTA Best Actor award, and the film won three of its 13 BAFTA nominations, along with three Oscar nominations including Best Director.
Just five years later, the musical version reached the West End, winning four of its 13 Olivier Award nominations. It opened in Australia in 2007, winning seven Helpmann Awards and opened on Broadway in the following year, winning ten Tony Awards and ten Drama Desk Awards.
With that pedigree, and a number of professional revivals, it has taken some time to become available on the community theatre circuit. Yet this is precisely why this particular production works: at its core it is about a small community, presented here by a small community.
However, like the original film, I see this more as a play with music as opposed to a musical. Elton John’s music, however, fits in remarkably well, particularly with such large ensemble numbers as “The Stars Look Down”, “Solidarity” and “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher”.
Of course, it is inspired partly by Scottish novelist A.J.Cronin’s classic 1935 novel The Stars Look Down. It is the story of a motherless working-class boy who begins to take ballet lessons amidst the upheaval caused by the miners’ strike in County Durham, Northern England, during 1984 to 1985.
This is not a family production despite its coming-of-age story. There are some harsh realities at the core of story and the language is gritty and real. That said, there is so much more to celebrate about the work and this production.
First time director Cat Edwards – who hails from Yorkshire herself – has found great personal resonance with this production which she sees as “a celebration of individuality, family and the power of art to change lives."
It is often said that in order to appreciate the dramatic moments in life one has to also value the humour, which is what makes life bearable. Amplifying the comedy at the expense of the tragedy is, alas, very often a trap that many a director will fall into. Thankfully, director Edwards never neglects the dramatic moments simply for the sake of a laugh.
But a captain is only as good as the crew, and Edwards has a magnificent support team. Vocal directors Claire Davies and Suellen Onslow produced excellent vocal work from the large and strong ensemble, under the musical direction of Rianta Belford.
Of course, a key element to the success of this was the work from co-choreographers Lara Stewart and Chris Davis. From the solo work of Billy Elliott through to the longest curtain call I can recall in musical theatre, the choreography worked on every level.
There were no weak links in the supporting roles either.
Scene-stealing just about every scene in which he appeared was Daniel O’Brien as Billy’s cross-dressing friend, Michael Caffrey. This was a stellar supporting performance from a young man who played this role with enormous humour. A wonderfully natural performance, he displayed an ease on stage way beyond his years and never once he show a jot of self-consciousness, perfectly complementing van Hoog’s Billy. Their duet “Expressing Yourself” in Act One was a sheer delight.
Alasdair Maceachern played Elliot’s coal-miner father, who has not the faintest notion about dance (or anything artistic). Like many of his ilk, his is a negative stereotype of ballet dancers and/or anyone who shows an artistic streak. After a somewhat shaky start, Maceachern settled in to navigate the conflict in his character to give a moving and convincing performance.
Stepping into the shoes of Oscar-nominated Julie Walters, Courtney Dibben once again proved her mettle with her take on the hard-bitten dance teacher, Mrs Wilkinson, who identifies Billy’s potential. Here was a fully-rounded character, a strong essentially comic performance underscored with a great deal of pathos which added a credible dimension to this role.
Other strong performances came from Declan Keyes-West as Billy’s older brother, Tony; Sam Stewart (in ghastly wig) as the delightfully over-the top Mr Braithwaite; Barb Shand was suitably scatty as Billy’s forgetful Grandma, while Sandra Neal’s appearance as Billy’s late mother, Sarah, was delicately understated.
Of particular note was the outstanding “Dream Ballet” performed by Billy (Jonas de Hoog) and his older self, danced by his older brother Isaiah de Hoog. This outstanding duet drew significant appreciative applause from the receptive opening night audience.
A few opening night jitters (and a few wayward accents) will no doubt be ironed out as the run progresses, but all in all this is a production which will generate much joy from cast and audience alike.
Trevor Keeling
Photographer: Alex Doherty
Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.