I first saw Billy Elliot performed in London in June of 2010. I was with my mom on a post-high school graduation trip, and on one of our last nights, we had nothing to do so we took up a recommendation from our tour guide to get last-minute tickets to the show. A show in which we knew nothing about.
We had great orchestra seats for the production which fucking blew both of us away. Some things just change you the moment they happen to you and Billy Elliot was like that for me.
For those unfamiliar: The musical is an adaptation of the 2000 film about Billy, a 12-year old miner’s son in Northern England in the mid-80s during the miner’s strike. Billy stumbles into a ballet class after a boxing lesson and soon finds himself immersed in it with the support of the exacting instructor, Mrs. Wilkinson.
It’s a dance musical and the choreography is stunning. The music is by Elton John and it is a punch to the heart. Over and over.
I saw Billy Elliot live once more in London in 2012, but the musical has since finished its long run on the West End. However, sometimes the universe it good and they did a fantastic recording in 2014 for the ten year anniversary that is available for viewing anywhere (just google “Billy Elliot: The Musical Live” and you’ll find numerous sites to rent it for $4 . . . or you can be like me and purchase the blu-ray).
Side note: they should do this with all productions, because theater should actually be made accessible??? Thank you Hamilton for stepping up so a wider audience can experience it this July.
I’ve now seen the musical many times from the comfort of my home but I (virtually) watched it with friends again this afternoon. And though it is far removed in many ways from the Black Lives Matter movement (there are no Black people even on the stage, ouch), there was part of it that felt greatly relevant as it depicted the struggle of the working class versus the police and the protesting that spurs on police brutality (we see the aftermath Billy’s older brother injured in one charged scene).
My favorite song of the musical, “Solidarity”, juxtaposes the strikers and police shouting obscenities at each other on the picket line with the ballet class and Billy’s progress and potential as a dancer. The refrain of the miners’ (sometimes echoed by the young girl ballerinas) goes like this:
Solidarity, solidarity,
Solidarity forever
We’re proud to be working class
Solidarity forever.
There is one other reflection I want to point out that was especially stark in my rewatch today: Billy Elliot is a queer musical. Ten years ago I didn’t even begin to understand this, even with the clear challenge of gender roles, cross-dressing, and flat out confession that happens between Billy and his friend Michael. There is plenty of homophobic language in the musical that fits the general rudeness of all the dialogue, but the musical is quite the opposite of homophobic. Rather, it is a loving tribute to individuality and yes, queerness.
A decade ago, I walked out of that musical thinking that it was nice they could show a boy liking ballet but he didn’t have to be gay. And to be clear you don’t have to be gay to like ballet if you’re a boy. But also, Billy Elliot is a queer character. It’s not even subtext. I was just without examples of what queerness could look like in things I loved. Ten years ago I didn’t quite know that it was okay to be gay, so I rationalized around it. Ten years ago I didn’t know I was gay.
But I’m long past queer erasure. And my love for and understanding of Billy Elliot has only grown.
It remains my favorite musical and is one I turn to for comfort, inspiration, and a good cry.
With Love,
Natalie