Thursday 17th November 2016, day off from work, so in Bristol now for a visit to the Hippodrome, for another performance of Billy Elliot. Shows are coming thick and fast at the moment, with the brilliant Mamma Mia finishing it’s run in Cardiff, its Billy’s turn for more viewings. I must admit I love both musicals equally, (which I could say for every show I’ve ever seen), and it’s just fantastic to be able to see these fabulous theatre experiences so close to home.

For today’s matinee performance we have Billy played by Lewis Smallman, Michael by Elliot Stiff, Debbie by Italia Ross, and the role of the Small boy played by Isobelle Chalmers. Also we have a change of actor for the role of Tony, ( normally played by Scott Garnham) is played by Tom Bainbridge. 

As usual the show today was awesome. Lewis Smallman was phenomenal again, (as he always seems to be). I have to say what a brilliant performance, his dancing is just superb, and watching him throughout the last few months, his acting skills and timing are so good, even the little things, waiting to deliver lines after applause and things like that, you’d think he’s been doing this for more years than his young age would otherwise suggest. Even with a long delay for ‘Angry dance’ at the end of act one, (which due to a technical fault, couldn’t be performed), he came back out, at the start of act two and carried on as if nothing had happened. Due to the set malfunction, the show was half hour late finishing, But it was still a magnificent show.

I think the other Billy’s are exceptional as well, but I’ve seen Lewis more times during my visits. The whole cast is just so fabulous, and the mix between the adult and child actors is brilliant, as I think I might have mentioned before. Another show I could never get bored with.

 The standard of U.K. Touring musicals is exceptional, with a lot of the shows just as good as their West End counterparts. Also may I add that the vocal talents of all the casts of the shows I’ve seen recently, have been awesome. The drama schools around Britain must be teaming with fabulously talented people, as they seem to get better every year. Just look at Billy Elliot, most of the cast are school kids, but yet, on stage they are brilliant, learning their craft at such a young age. Being a young star in Billy Elliot, Matilda and Charlie and the chocolate factory,  would lead on to a brilliant career in the theatre industry, or you would hope that, at least.