Billy is not in London

I have been to Billy Elliot de Musical last Saturday in the Netherlands. My first time to see my favourite musical anywhere else than in London. I have to say, it was a bit awkward to here everything in Dutch. But of course I now the texts by heart so I could follow it easily. Also Dutch and German is relatively similar so I could understand most of it.

The production itself is at least as professional as in London. The theatre is much more modern and comfortable. But that also means that it does not have the same charm as Victoria Palace. At least the technique was perfect without any issues like often in London. Billy’s room does not come from below, but from the side of the stage. That means that some scenes are slightly changed, but not heavily. There are some other scenes that are also changed but in total, it is nearly identical to the London production. The biggest change is in Angry Dance.

Our Billy was played by Stijn van der Plas. He is 13 years old, but looks still very childish. Nevertheless he is a brillant actor and his step dance was the best I have seen from a Billy so far. Michael was played by Michiel Deddens who was a perfect match to Stijn. Mrs. Wilkinson is played by Pia Douwes – I was told by a friend, that she is a big star in the Netherlands and plays in every musical. She certainly is an extraordinary actress and very convincing in her role. Dancing is not her strength, but that did not harm her overall performance.

I was very pleased with our seats – we had platinum seats. What I did not know was that not only a souvenir programme is included in the tickets, but also a backstage tour. So after the show we could really go behind the stage and onto the stage. Of course I did understand only half of what was told, but that was indeed very impressing. And also quite disillusioning – no glamour at all. But we were surprised by the detail of the set, even where it can’t be seen from the audience!

Also a highlight for me was that my friends live in the same street as the musical theatre. So it was just a 3-minute-walk to get there and back to our home! 🙂

Overall it was a great weekend and very good show and I do plan to come back, soon! 🙂