Billy Elliot Erkel Budapest
Thursday June 28th
I actually went to see this twice – I was going anyway but then the nonsense started (about which I have posted quite a bit a while ago). And so my second visit was very much a show of solidarity. Didn’t think it would be possible but I DEFINITELY felt a LOT more gay after just one viewing and after two…well, you can imagine! It was very good to see on both occasions virtually full houses (although by the time of the second performance they had reduced ticket prices by 50% and a large number of families. Great enthusiasm was shown by all – understandably as it was a moving and lavish production and reminded me what a good piece of theatre it was – which is certainly not always the case when a film is transferred to the stage. Before I first saw it (in DC I think) I thought that I would greatly miss the iconic film soundtrack but I did not – and this production this was again confirmed. I only felt a brief pang during Billy’s ‘rage’ dance to ‘A Town Called Malice’ when I recalled the film sequence – one of the great dance sequences on film, I think. Move over Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly?! Also (and perhaps this is what upset people here) the central ‘message’ of ‘be true to yourself and don’t be afraid not to conform” was very powerfully conveyed. It also brought home, quite movingly, how to be true to oneself you sometimes have to leave what you are most familiar with and leave behind all the people whom you loved and grew up with (both friends and family). At times, the show says, the best and most loving thing that adults can to for their children is to let them go – even if it goes against all that they have believed and experienced.
It gave a rightly strong sense of the very specific time and place where the events took place and in such a way that it would be easily comprehensible to those who did not live through those times. It was at times tricky for me to watch both stage and surtitles as the script was VERY authentic (another reason for seeing it more than once) and all the English vernacular was kept – be interesting to know what the Hungarian equivalents of some of the more pungent phrases were!
The staging was excellent in that it remained true to the spirit of the piece with very effective use of flats and a great set for the back alley of Billy’s house with the grim black and grey buildings and the lowering back sky. This was marvellously contrasted to the brilliant ‘razzle dazzle’ sequences which were far more lavish than I recall from my DC version.
Remarkable performances form the young people in the remarkably taxing roles. A great evening – and I look forward to seeing it again next year!