Billy Elliot - Leicester Curve

[amp09]

[amp09]

Can’t wait to see a new take on this incredible show.

[firefingers]

Now this is interesting. It was once said it would never be revived, as the Billy training was too expensive (it took a good year before you put them in front of an audience). Glad to see that isn't the case. Certainly has my attention.

[Being Alive]

Lucy will do a stellar job choreographing - she's superb

[Jon]

Sept 16, 2021 22:51:35 GMT firefingers said:

Now this is interesting. It was once said it would never be revived, as the Billy training was too expensive (it took a good year before you put them in front of an audience). Glad to see that isn't the case. Certainly has my attention.

Since it's a limited run, I wonder if they cast children who are already ballet trained.

I do remember someone saying the running costs were high which is why it couldn't run successfully on tour in the US and only ran three years on Broadway. 

[Deleted]

Sept 16, 2021 22:51:35 GMT firefingers said:

Now this is interesting. It was once said it would never be revived, as the Billy training was too expensive (it took a good year before you put them in front of an audience). Glad to see that isn't the case. Certainly has my attention.

That probably would be the case for a West End production. But this is the Leicester Curve with new, probably less demanding choreography. I wouldn't be surprised if this toured? Curve do like a tour.

[HereForTheatre]

A very brave thing to take this on and revive it from scratch. Obviously there are people who are die hard fans of the original and it was such a loved show I can see some push back against the new version created here but I'm very excited to see what's done. You have to say that Curve are really smashing it just lately, if you look at the past few years at brand new major revivals of Sunset, West Side Story, The Color Purple, their streamed stuff and and coming up over the next year with A Chorus Line, Billy Elliot and ALW's The Wizard of Oz. There is no doubt they have stepped it up hugely over the last few years.

[MrBraithwaite]

Loved the original, but very happy this gets revived and re-imagined.

[ensembleswings]

Very excited to hear about (and hopefully see) a new production. One of my favourite shows so I’m interested in how they go about this

[FrontroverPaul]

Now on general sale.

Maximum seat price is £56, reduced to £28 for the first four performances which I assume are classed as previews. These ( 7 -12 July) are already well booked but I managed to get two seats in the front row @ £28.

[amp09]

[danb]

I would drive to Leicester to see Sal do this. Perfect.

[HereForTheatre]

She has confirmed on twitter.

[Mark]

A trip up north for the Durham miners gala has coincided perfectly with the first preview so myself and parents will be at the first preview (although seated separately! Only singles were left).
It was so nostalgic to see the international tour in Sydney in 2019, I can’t wait to see an all new production.

[HereForTheatre]

Cast Announced

Mrs Wilkinson - Sally Ann Triplett
Jackie - Joe Caffery
Tony - Luke Baker
Mum - Jessica Daley
Grandma - Rachel Izen

Child cast and more production info also announced via Baz

here

[Seriously]

Frankly I'd rather see someone new than Joe Caffrey.

[drowseychap]

Never been to this theatre. But tempted now … but with the ticket prices …. Ouch ! Can’t afford to put heating on let alone spend £50 at the theatre …. What are the very cheap seats like here ?? 👍😉🤗

[mkb]

Apr 22, 2022 0:50:48 GMT drowseychap said:

Never been to this theatre. But tempted now … but with the ticket prices …. Ouch ! Can’t afford to put heating on let alone spend £50 at the theatre …. What are the very cheap seats like here ?? 👍😉🤗

The front of the circle overhangs the stalls at least two-thirds of the way back.  The circle is very remote.  The cheaper rows at the back of stalls and circle will have unimpeded views, but from quite a distance.

[HereForTheatre]

I find all areas perfectly good, I usually sit in the last few rows at the back of the stalls which i find to be excellent and doesn't feel far away to me at all. It's a shallow theatre. I've not sat in the circle many times but from when I did I found that to be good too even towards the bacK.

In this day and age of ticket prices I'd hardly say top price tickets of £50 is particularly high and you can get perfectly good seats for £30.

[mkb]

Apr 22, 2022 6:46:31 GMT HereForTheatre said:

In this day and age of ticket prices...

And there's the danger.  Because London has some utterly extortionate prices, it sets a benchmark that enables provincial theatres to charge in excess of £50 (for the often pared-down touring/regional productions) and saying: "We're not as bad as London."  (Of course, London can similarly point to Broadway, where prices have reached insane levels.)

I don't think any of my relatives could afford £50 per person for a night out locally, especially during the current cost-of-living crisis.  And remember that covers most of the Stalls at this venue.  Yes, there are cheaper seats right at the back, and it's great you find these acceptable, but they don't work for me.  Whenever I have tried distant seats, I've found the experience closer to tv-watching, because the stage covers so little of my eye's field of vision.  To save money, I'd rather go for the side slips for a more immersive experience, but agree that is personal preference.

There are still a few scattered single seats available for the preview shows of Billy Elliot, and these are very good value.  (That's when I'm going!)

After previews, pricing seems to be:

£52.00 - Stalls rows A-M (apart from the last two seats on each row), P-R; Circle row A
£45.00 - Stalls rows A-M (last two seats on each row), whole of N-O, S-V, front row of side slips; Circle rows B-E
£35.00 - Stalls rows W, centre of X and some of second row of side slips; Circle rows F-G
£26.00 - Stalls sides of X, whole of Y, the two widest seats in the second row of side slips; Circle row H
£10.00 - First and last seats on Stalls row A; Circle side slips

These prices increase by a few pounds on Fridays and Saturdays.

The sweet spot there for me is the £10 seats, which I think are generally better seats than the £35 and £26 ones because of their improved proximity, even if from a wide angle.  The centre of rows N and O in the stalls at £45 are also a good option if you can stretch to that price.

For a £40/year membership, you can get 15% off non-preview prices on up to four tickets.  I used to have that, but chose not to renew it after some pretty shoddy treatment by the Curve during the pandemic.  You can generally save a lot more than members by buying in previews in any case.

[drowseychap]

Apr 22, 2022 6:46:31 GMT HereForTheatre said:

I find all areas perfectly good, I usually sit in the last few rows at the back of the stalls which i find to be excellent and doesn't feel far away to me at all. It's a shallow theatre. I've not sat in the circle many times but from when I did I found that to be good too even towards the bacK.

In this day and age of ticket prices I'd hardly say top price tickets of £50 is particularly high and you can get perfectly good seats for £30.

It’s all relative and personal I guess but to me personally £50 ticket is a lot of money I’m a front line Nhs worker that’s £100 for me and my partner esp with the cost of living going up fuel etc too
Don’t get me wrong for special events etc of course I’d pay more but for regular shows I’d be down to theatre once every 2 months which would be 😱😱😱😩🥺😢

If I didn’t get the deals and stand by tickets my theatre going days would be extremely rare which would be very sad as it’s my escapism from being around so much death and sadness each day …. Theatre 🎭 is my great love and passion

London can demand higher ticket prices I get that ad always use. To be bigger productions and stars ⭐️ seems les. If that now though . Tbh I’ve seen same productions in London sometimes cheaper than my local theatre 😉🤪

I managed to see little voice at a quite local theatre last week on day seats for £12 …. They were charging £37 +booking theatre on sat eve less than half full such a shame
But sadly many of us regular people are being out priced 😞

Saw another show there few months back now too price was £47. I went on Thursday eve got day seat yay 😃 £10 I counted 80 —100 people in a 800 seat theatre was so sad

[HereForTheatre]

Apr 23, 2022 1:11:41 GMT drowseychap said:

Apr 22, 2022 6:46:31 GMT HereForTheatre said:

I find all areas perfectly good, I usually sit in the last few rows at the back of the stalls which i find to be excellent and doesn't feel far away to me at all. It's a shallow theatre. I've not sat in the circle many times but from when I did I found that to be good too even towards the bacK.

In this day and age of ticket prices I'd hardly say top price tickets of £50 is particularly high and you can get perfectly good seats for £30.

It’s all relative and personal I guess but to me personally £50 ticket is a lot of money I’m a front line Nhs worker that’s £100 for me and my partner esp with the cost of living going up fuel etc too
Don’t get me wrong for special events etc of course I’d pay more but for regular shows I’d be down to theatre once every 2 months which would be 😱😱😱😩🥺😢

If I didn’t get the deals and stand by tickets my theatre going days would be extremely rare which would be very sad as it’s my escapism from being around so much death and sadness each day …. Theatre 🎭 is my great love and passion

London can demand higher ticket prices I get that ad always use. To be bigger productions and stars ⭐️ seems les. If that now though . Tbh I’ve seen same productions in London sometimes cheaper than my local theatre 😉🤪

I managed to see little voice at a quite local theatre last week on day seats for £12 …. They were charging £37 +booking theatre on sat eve less than half full such a shame
But sadly many of us regular people are being out priced 😞

Saw another show there few months back now too price was £47. I went on Thursday eve got day seat yay 😃 £10 I counted 80 —100 people in a 800 seat theatre was so sad

If you are going on your own then the first 3 or 4 performances are previews and all seats are below £22, though only single seats are left i think. Other than that, as I've said, the cheaper seats at the back of the stalls or dress circle are perfectly fine and what I actually choose.  They do the very cheapest seats in kind of slips at the side and I've never sat there but it would be quite a side on view I guess but the stage is usually very open for their own productions so might still be a decent view. 

[mkb]

It's £28, not £22, but still a bargain.

[Mark]

Really disappointing email this morning - Performances from 7-12 July have been cancelled. Now sure how easy it's going to be for us to arrange a rebooking, and especially curious if they will honour the preview pricing.

[mkb]

Just had the same email. They better not try to charge me more to move to an alternative date. It's not like the same seats are going to be available at what will now be the first few performances. Annoying too that we have to wait for them to call us and can't just go online to pick new seats/dates.

For those people who will now be at the new preview performances from 13 July, I wonder if they will be getting some money back?

With three and half weeks still to go to the original opening date, I am surprised they cannot get back on schedule. I guess they have to balance the costs of the necessary overtime payments for longer/extra shifts against revenue lost from cancelled shows.