Jaden Shentall-Lee, Sally Ann Triplett and Cameron Johnson in Billy Elliot at Curve Leicester. Picture: Marc Brenner
Billy Elliot continues continues at Curve Leicester until 20 August 2022.
Star rating: five stars ★★★★★
Somehow it’s been 22 years since Billy Elliot first danced across our cinema screens, and 17 years since his fancy footwork lit up the London stage at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The production and its Broadway counterpart were showered in Oliviers, Tonys and Drama Desk Awards, and theatregoers all over the world took the story of the young boy with his dancing dream to their hearts.
Following a UK tour a few years ago, the musical has been reimagined in a new production now playing at Leicester’s Curve. Envisioned by resident artistic director Nikolai Foster (with choreography by Lucy Hind), Billy Elliot is back to boogie once more, in this tale of triumph during times of adversity which celebrates being true to yourself and the joy and art of dance.
Taking place in County Durham in the mid-1980s, we follow the story of 11-year-old Billy, son of a working class mining family, whose father and brother are caught in the strike action. Initially going to boxing classes to please his father, Billy unwittingly ends up in a ballet class led by rough diamond Mrs Wilkinson, who soon spots Billy’s potential as a dancer. She begins to coach him and believes he can get into the Royal Ballet School, but with the mining crisis worsening, Billy’s dream looks hopeless, and Mrs Wilkinson refuses to let Billy’s natural light get lost in the darkening surroundings of his hometown.
A true underdog story that we theatregoers always love so much, it is wonderful to see Billy Elliot back on stage again, and Foster’s production is nothing short of electrifying. Far more raw than Daldry’s (brilliant) original, Foster puts his characters and story in a gritty and bleak setting, and the piece is all the more powerful for it.
Michael Taylor’s industrial-styled set and Ben Cracknell’s stunning lighting design combine to create a striking stage atmosphere that feels as oppressive and dominating as the mines themselves, and really helps bring the necessary gravitas to the story. This helps Billy’s triumph shine even brighter against the darkness, and the effect is thrilling.
Lee Hall’s book remains largely unchanged, with its playful Northern humour providing moments of relief against the miners’ struggle. Language remains strong throughout so parents may want to be very careful about taking younger children (the production does come with a suggested age recommendation of 12 and upwards), but again the harshness of the script reflects the adversity that these characters are going through, and this realism makes the audience fully feel for and engage with these characters, which reaps huge rewards.
The score (written by Elton John with lyrics by Hall) may lack any standalone songs that you’d hear in karaoke bars or X Factor auditions, but it works perfectly; these are songs driven by character and plot rather than just a pretty melody, and feel true to the journey, rather than breaking momentum for unnecessary belting. Having said that, ‘The Letter’ is a gorgeous moment between Billy and Mrs Wilkinson (and Billy’s Mam), and ‘Electricity’ remains one of the finest moments in modern British theatre, with Billy explaining how he feels when he’s dancing, and ensuring the audience feel it too.
Billy’s story is brought to life by a hugely talented cast, made up of professional actors and local young talent, and it’s a phenomenal collective performance. From Luke Baker’s commanding turn as Billy’s brother Tony, and Joe Caffrey’s heartbreaking portrayal of dad Jackie trying to save his family, to Rachel Izen bringing the comedy as Grandma Edna looking for her pasty. There really isn’t a weak link.
Jessica Daley appears all-too-briefly as Billy’s late mother in a warm and nurturing performance, and if this musical has one negative, it’s that Daley doesn’t have more to do to show off her gorgeous voice. And Sally Ann Triplett proves once again that she is one of the UK’s finest character actresses, bringing a gritty authenticity to Mrs Wilkinson and being magnetic to watch throughout. If the theatre gods are kind to us, hopefully we’ll see Triplett as Mama Rose or Norma Desmond one day, which frankly can’t come soon enough.
And not forgetting our titular hero, who on press night was performed by Jaden Shentall-Lee. It’s easy to forget just how demanding the role of Billy is, being on stage for most of the show’s duration, having a significant number of book scenes to learn, and of course the choreography. Shentall-Lee gives a brilliant performance, full of warmth and determination, and dances his socks off. His chemistry with best friend Michael (Prem Masani) is also wonderful and hugely enjoyable, with the two of them clearly having a ball together, particularly during ‘Expressing Yourself’ (which wisely drops the surreal dancing dresses from the original staging).
Overall the production feels a little less “dancier” this time around, with the ‘Angry Dance’ section somewhat shorter, and the scene with Billy dancing with his older self being redesigned, though still highly effective. Losing some of the razzmatazz and more balletic sequences has helped to ground this production in a realism that resonates beyond what any amount of sparkle and sequences could ever do, and the end result demands to be seen.
Billy Elliot is one of the best productions Curve has produced in recent years, stunning in its impact and powerfully emotional. If you’ve seen it before, you need to see it again. If you’re never seen it, don’t even hesitate to book. This is a must-see.
Rob Bartley