Red Tree Theatre is showcasing an incredible production of the infamous Billy Elliot The Musical at their very own Red Tree Theatre,Tuggerah. Co-director Daniel Craig and Sancia West have outdone themselves in bringing this larger-than-life musical to the stage.
Innovative staging allowed for the creation of multiple spaces. Billy’s tiered bedroom was utilised fabulously and the quaint kitchen was picturesque in creating a homely atmosphere. The use of multiple exits created interesting stage dynamics and gave the illusion of a wider, more complex world.
The Billy Elliot Musical is a fine example of pushing gender boundaries and breaking stifling stereotypes of men in dance, and in particular, ballet. It is unfathomable how far society has regressed considering that until the 18th century, men had dominated ballet from its origins in the 15th century. For centuries, only men were allowed to train and perform at court, even performing the female roles. The plot of the musical explores these ridiculous stereotypes in the 1980s, but unfortunately they linger on in today’s current society.
The star of the show, Billy Elliot, was performed today by up and coming young talent Adam Weinstein. Adam infused the role with energy, heart, and unwavering commitment to character. Adam portrayed great emotional depth and range in his acting; in particular, the Angry Dance scene shone through fervently with fury. Adam also portrayed great wit and comedic skill during his scenes with Ella-Mai Johnson as Debbie. Ella-Mai also proved she has a massive future in theatre awaiting her. What a stage personality! Full of verve and highly energetic, Ella-Mai was a delight to behold. The way she screamed out to her Mum, Mrs Wilkinson, brought the house down each time. The dedicated dance teacher, Mrs Wilkinson, was powerfully presented with utmost heart and sincerity by Sian Hayes. Every one of her lines was delivered with authenticity and passion as was her singing and dancing. A five-star performance in every aspect.
Rocky Croot’s performance was another major highlight. Rocky played Michael Caffey, Billy’s close friend with utmost charisma and lit up the stage. He clearly demonstrated his natural flair for theatre. Rocky’s fantastic tapping, singing, and acting delivered a showstopping performance.
Jason King delivered the role of Billy’s Dad and commanded the audience’s attention from start to finish. Jason’s convincing performance was polished, professional, and thoroughly engaging. His scene with the male ballerina was absolutely hilarious and perfectly authentic to his male chauvinistic character.
Billy’s Grandma, played by Sam Powell, injected the audience with love, warmth, and an abundance of laughter. Sam was outrageously zany and comedic, and I loved every moment of her energetic heartfelt performance. She was the life of the party character we all want to know and love.
A stellar cast and ensemble articulated the masterful choreography, which is a main feature in this musical. Essentially the main plot revolves around Billy’s journey into the world of dance. Karina Graham-Wilson’s choreography was eye-catching and ingeniously transitioned scenes, in particular between the rowdy miners and the ballet class. The highlight of the choreography would have to be the fantastic tap dancing which was delightfully in abundance. The finely syncopated choreography and use of interesting canons was extremely effective and executed superbly. The fight scenes were choreographed by Adam Soldo and were smooth, effective, and impactful.
Red Tree Theatre’s adaption of Billy Elliot the Musical is fabulously entertaining and a highly engaging performance. Excellent direction, a skillful production team, spectacular choreography and a truly fabulous cast and ensemble have made this a stellar production not to be missed.
To book tickets to Billy Elliot The Musical , please visit https://redtreetheatre.org.au/whats-on/.
Photographer: James Beggs Imaging
