"...Billy Elliot strikes me as the
greatest British musical I have ever seen, and I have not
forgotten Lionel Bart's Oliver! or Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Phantom of the Opera. There is a rawness, a warm humour
and a sheer humanity here that is worlds removed from the
soulless slickness of most musicals. Yes, there are rough
edges that would give Cameron Mackintosh a fit of the vapours,
yes, there are occasional scenes that are not as powerfully
played as those in the film. But there is so much more that
is big and bold, imaginative and great-hearted. The emotion
always seems real and spontaneous, rather than cunningly
manipulated to pull at the heartstrings... The whole cast
is blessed with a freshness and sincerity I have rarely
seen equalled, and one leaves this triumphant production
in a mist of tears and joy." The
Daily Telegraph
"Turning small-scale movies into big
musicals is a treacherous business. It failed with The Full
Monty, which lost all of its gritty truth when musicalised.
But Billy Elliot succeeds brilliantly because Elton John's
music and, especially, Peter Darling's choreography enhance
Lee Hall's cinematic concept. The musical, even more than
the film, counterpoints Billy's personal triumph with the
community's decline... Stephen Daldry's production is a
model of fluidity and intelligence. He constantly reminds
us that the special power of the musical is that it can
express a lyrical idea through physical action..."
The Guardian
"...Together, Stephen Daldry and Lee
Hall have concocted a piece that’s tougher, bolder
and, as my tear-ducts can attest, more moving than its admittedly
admirable celluloid precursor. With its rags-to-riches,
or rather poverty-to-piroutte, story, the piece invites
sentimentality. But that’s almost entirely missing
in the Geordie pit village where young Billy discovers he
has a gift for dance... Moreover, the action exactly coincides
with the 1980s miners’ strike — and this comes
across far more emphatically than in the film..." The
Times
"Billy Elliot The Musical, based upon
Stephen Daldry's classic movie, is just irresistible. It
catches you - or at least me - in its fervent grasp, and
pins you down with all the artfulness of a vintage seducer,
right to the misguided, sentimental finale... This is an
evening which throws a fierce political punch as well as
an emotional one. No modern musical has struck such rebellious,
old Labour, workingclass conscious notes... Stephen Daldry,
always at his best on the grand scale, deftly marshals a
throbbing mixture of angry miners, threatening policemen
and little girls in tutus - all singing. Ian MacNeil's versatile
designs set the changing scenes..." The
London Evening Standard
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