After an exhausting day as a tourist in England, it was enjoyable and relaxing to go see a 
musical. The theatre was located a street away from the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel, making it very convenient. Getting tickets last minute for London theatre is very difficult, so it’d be recommended to get them ahead of time. We got “box tickets” though we were in a makeshift box. Leaning over the railing during the first half was a bit difficult but didn’t take away from the experience.
Billy Elliot is about a boy living in Newcastle, England. The town he lives in is having hard economic times, everyone scavenging for money. Most of the men in the town are miners 
who are on strike, and therefore, are receiving little to no wages. Billy (Oliver Gardner) originally begins taking a boxing class but after misbehaving (dancing instead of punching), gets sent to Mrs. Wilkinson’s dance class. Being the only boy there, he starts off uncomfortable and not knowing what to do. He quickly learns the steps and even exceeds the other dancers in the class. His dance teacher finds much talent in him and thinks he should try out for a dance school in London. When his father finds out that his 50 pence is going to dancing instead of boxing, he gets furious. He tells Billy that he must stop going to the classes. Rebelling like an ordinary kid, he goes to Mrs. Wilkinson’s studio after school for private lessons. He stuns his teacher and the audience alike. In the second act, when his father witnesses his moves, he is taken aback and feels the need to give Billy a chance as a dancer. Everyone in the town pools their money together in order to get Billy his audition in London. A man, a miner in the same town who’s a scab (he gave up on the strike), supplied most of the money since he was still working. Though at first the rest of the miners refused to take the money, they decided it’d be the best for Billy.
There were two scenes where Billy danced that were very moving. At one point, he danced in the ballet style with an older version of himself. Another, after his audition, when he was speaking to the board of the school, Billy explained what he felt when he danced. The fact that his mother was dead gave him a lot of inspiration and put feeling into his dancing. She kept appearing to talk to him, encouraging him to follow his dreams and to never forget her. “The Letter” a song performed by both Billy and his dead mom brought tears to my eyes. It showed a lot of love between a son and a mother.
Though Billy was the main character, and was very memorable, his friend Michael Caffrey (Connor Kelly) was equally or even more memorable. He’s a small boy who knows he’s 
different. “Expressing Yourself” was a song sung by both Billy and Michael sending the message of being an individual. Michael would dress in his mother and sister’s clothes and even received a tutu as a Christmas present from Billy. He ended the musical by standing on the stage with his bike, waving Billy away to his future in London. He was cute and fun, but it was a shame that he had to stay in Newcastle alone with no one to really understand him.
Billy Elliot definitely cheered up my exhausting day. After the intermission, I was able to move my seat to one with a better view of the stage. My only regret of the evening is not getting a program. Playbill’s cost you in London, and we decided not to buy one. Billy Elliot is a definite must see!
Billy Elliot
Victoria Palace Theatre, London
August 18, 2010
Marina B. Nebro
