Big talent from musical's young star Smallman

Photo: Alastair Muir

LEWIS Smallman as Billy Elliot

BILLY ELLIOT

Palace Theatre, Manchester, to January 28

IT HAS already been a hit movie and the stage show played for a decade in London, but in some ways Stephen Daldry's triumphant production of Lee Hall and Elton John's Billy Elliot seems even older.

But while it might, like Blood Brothers, now be a period piece from near history, its miners' strike setting is merely a potent backdrop to one of those aspirational musicals that has audiences still rooting for the fresh-faced young hero even as they trip happily out of the theatre.

Twelve-year-old Billy stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class - where he realises a passion for dance that eventually brings round his highly-reluctant mining family, then his cash-strapped strike community.

It's ultimately a feelgood show but there is plenty of social strife - and swearing from adults and children alike - along the way, not that this should put anyone off.

The first half hour seems a little disjointed as Hall - more used to plays than musicals - crashes the strike, the kids, the dancing and everything else into a lot of exposition and warm-up songs.

But it isn't long before the show offers some truly lovely little scenes as Billy (last night the utterly winning Lewis Smallman, 13, from the Midlands) and his best friend and possibly developing transvestite homosexual Michael (last night the show-stealing, nine-year-old Samuel Torpey from Middleton) get into the secret, innocent stuff young boys apparently get up to, like wearing their sister's clothes.

This scene, late in the first act, sounds a little odd but is very, very sweet, especially from young Mr Torpey, and it develops into a lovely production number - something the show interjects throughout the evening in what is otherwise a fairly rough and ready story. Elsewhere there are terrific dance interludes - against the police barricade and with a flying Billy just two - to enjoy.

Tables are turned among the youngsters in general as the dance class Billy gets in to, run by feisty Mrs Wilkinson (Annette McLaughlin), has some of the foullest-mouthed young girls in Newcastle in its tutus.

And the sum is far greater than the parts. Hugely talented youngsters, a driving story and strong sets, brilliant sound and lighting team-up to keep Manchester dancing in the streets all Christmas.