Review: Billy Elliot

Swan Lake softens even rednecks

Charming, empowering, fantastic. All of this is the Helsinki City Theatre’s Billy Elliot musical. Although the music composed by Elton John is not particularly memorable, the play directed by Markku Nenonen forms a strong statement for tolerance.

Thanks go especially to the play’s young actors and dancers, who do an absolutely amazing job in the main roles of the performance. Lassi Hirvonen, who interpreted the title role of the hit musical at the premiere, digs an insecure dreamer inside him who rises up against his narrow-minded father because his heart says so. Hirvonen, who is only 12 years old, is convincing above all as a dancer. There is still a wobble in his singing voice, which, on the other hand, suits the role of a boy looking for himself.

Kasperi Virta, who played Billy’s best friend Michael, performed at least as sparkling at the premiere. One of the mind-blowing features of the show is the hilarious tap number of the friends, which lifts various young people from the gloom of the north of England into the limelight of the show world for a moment.

In terms of its frame, the musical is vaguely reminiscent of Victor Hugo’s Miserables. Miners who opposed the privatization of coal mines in the 1980s are wrestling with Margaret Thatcher’s regime almost as fiercely as revolutionaries and royalists in 19th-century France. However, the workers at Durham do not have the education of the heart that Hugo sows to his freedom fighters. Written by Lee Hall, the story depicts the black-and-white world of rough rednecks, where Billy’s half-accidental enthusiasm for ballet is, to put it mildly, suspicious. The plot is quite predictable, even if you have avoided seeing the movie on which the musical is based. Of course, it is a rag-to-riches type of class leap that requires defying prejudices and norms and the courage to follow one’s dreams. The only thing that is really missing from the typical musical ingredients is a proper romance. That way, even the sweet ballads are left unheard.

Although the text does not succeed in justifying the changes in Billy’s family very well, the simple plot holds together well. Mikko Koivusalo’s Finnish translation does not skimp on profanity, which is perhaps worth taking into account if you are going to watch the performance with children. Risto Kaskilahti is just right for Billy’s father, who softens towards the end when he notices his son’s talent. Petrus Kähkönen gives a bold interpretation of Billy’s fiery brother Tony, who doesn’t understand his little brother’s hobby. In addition to the young stars, Antti Keinänen, who played the adult Billy at the premiere, roared applause from the audience, popping onto the stage to show how ballet is actually danced.