My top 10 emotional theatre moments

10. Matilda and Miss Honey cartwheel (Matilda the Musical)

This is more ‘happy sad’ than upsetting, but it always makes me a bit emotional when Matilda and Miss Honey cartwheel off into the distance, as they had ‘found each other’.

9. Mufasa’s death (The Lion King)

I think emotional moments are more intense in a live theatre piece than in a film, so when I saw the Lion King live this was really heartbreaking – even moreso than in the film!

8. I’d Give my Life for you (Miss Saigon)

The fact that this song foreshadows the tragic ending of Miss Saigon (I’ll come to the finale later!) makes this song hugely significant, as Kim’s love for her son is so evident through the powerful song.

7. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (Les Miserables)

The most atmospheric part of this song for me is when the ghosts of the students (and Gavroche) walk on behind Marius, because it clearly shows that Marius has lost all of his friends to the revolution, and his upsetting reaction to this realisation.

6. All I ask of you reprise (The Phantom of the Opera)

This is a hugely powerful ending to act 1, especially considering the parallels between this reprise and the earlier song sung by Christine and Raoul. Sympathy for the Phantom is heightened as he sings, suspended above the stage, about his love for Christine.

5. A Little Fall of Rain (Les Miserables)

As Eponine lies in Marius’ arms, he finally realises her feelings for him before she dies, and the fact that she never finishes singing the final line of the song makes it even more emotional.

4. The Letter/The Letter reprise (Billy Elliot)

Both of these songs involve Billy’s dead mum coming and ‘speaking’ to him, and the parallels between her and Mrs Wilkinson, his new maternal figure, are so evident through their gorgeous harmonies.

3. Finale (Miss Saigon)

This is strangely similar to A Little Fall of Rain, and just as sad. When Kim gives her life for her son, Chris realises how much she cared about both him and Tam, and the musical ends with this tragic situation.

2. The Final Lair/Finale (The Phantom of the Opera)

This is when Christine returns to the Phantom’s lair and hands him back his ring. The softly sung ‘Christine, I love you’ is devastating, and it is clear that Christine does love the Phantom, but they could never be together.

1. Gavroche’s Death (Les Miserables)

This was the first musical theatre moment I nearly cried at, because seeing such a young child die at a battle when he was trying to help is terrible, especially when it could have been prevented. The long note sustained underneath the scene seems to pre-empt the tragedy, and makes it even more atmospheric.

My top 10 ‘wow’ theatre moments

10. Singin’ in the Rain (Singin’ in the Rain)

The focus of Singin’ in the rain adverts is the fact that 6000 litres of water are used on stage in the title song. It was very impressive, and even got some of the audience members in the front few rows of the stalls a little damp!

9. Memory (Cats)

Does this really need an explanation? Memory is arguably the most well-known musical theatre song, and one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest compositions, so when the actress playing Grizabella belted this song out, it was, without a doubt, a highlight of the show.

8. Masquerade (The Phantom of the Opera)

This must be one of the most impressive act 2 openings in musical theatre. The spectacular costumes and set design make it a joy to watch, along with the genius choreography and the cast’s interaction with the dummies. Not forgetting that the song is brilliant!

7. Electricity (Billy Elliot)

This is a hugely well-known song, but it’s the dancing that makes it a top moment for me. The boys who play Billy are extraordinarily talented and each make their Electricity dance their own, as the choreographers use the dance to highlight their strengths. Awesome.

6. Javert’s Suicide (Les Miserables)

Potentially a surprising one, but Javert’s Suicide has always been one of my favourite parts of Les Mis. I love the parallels between it and Valjean’s Who Am I, and the dark lighting and illusion of Javert jumping from the bridge make it so atmospheric.

5. When I grow up (Matilda The Musical)

This is the song that makes every adult well up, and every child want to have a go on the swings! Tim Minchin’s clever music and lyrics conjure up the perfect emotions, and the use of both adult and child actors on the swings make clever links between the various stages of growing up.

4. Angry Dance (Billy Elliot)

Angry Dance always impressed me because of the way that so many emotions could be expressed through dance. The tap sequence in it is particularly exciting, and the use of the miners and policemen act as a clever back drop to what Billy is going through.

3. Past the point of no return/Final Lair (The Phantom of the Opera)

This is admittedly quite a long passage to include in my list, but I couldn’t choose just one section! The culmination of the plot and the love triangle between the Phantom, Christine and Raoul becomes so evident, and the staging and vocals work together to heighten the emotion.

2. Defying Gravity (Wicked)

When I saw Wicked for the first time, the moment that Elphaba rose up above the stage was undoubtedly the most exciting theatrical moment I’d ever seen. The combination of the belted notes at the end of the song, the makeup and costume, and the fact that she genuinely appears to be flying, create a spectacular end to act 1.

1. One Day More (Les Miserables)

This simply had to take the top spot! I love it because all of the characters are singing about their own troubles and worries, yet all of their stories are intertwined, so they are all united in this one song. The powerful harmonies are created by having all of the principles and ensemble on stage at once, meaning that when the song is over and act 1 has finished, the audience are buzzing, and eagerly anticipating the second half.

Review – Billy Elliot, Victoria Palace Theatre, London, 02/04/15

This was my second time watching Billy Elliot, having already seen it in August 2013, when I barely knew any of the songs or indeed anything about the show. I returned with a lot more knowledge, and the faith that it would be enjoyable! The Billy I saw was Thomas Hazelby, and this was his eighth performance, and Nathan Jones, as Michael, was also new.

Thomas Hazelby as Billy was absolutely brilliant, and no one would have been able to guess that he had done fewer than ten shows already. The scenes featuring the ballet girls were particularly impressive, due to their impeccable dancing abilities and impressive formations. I really enjoyed Solidarity and the interactions between the miners, police, and ballet girls. It was very clever, and represented the situation perfectly. The Letter and later, The Letter (Reprise) were no doubt the most emotional songs in the show. Hazelby displayed heart felt acting and a good connection with both Ruthie Henshall as Mrs Wilkinson and Claudia Bradley as Billy’s mum.

Hazelby and Nathan Jones’ performance of Expressing Yourself was good, but not quite as slick as I feel it could have been. I put this down to the fact that both boys were new in their roles and weren’t yet as confident as they soon will be with the challenging dance steps – but it was impressive and enjoyable nonetheless, and I have no doubt that their performances will only improve with experience.

Ruthie Henshall fitted the character of Mrs Wilkinson perfectly, despite the fact that it is quite a far cry from many of her previous roles. Her interaction with Hazelby was brilliant, and she fulfilled the maternal figure that Billy clearly requires. Deka Walmsley was also perfect as Billy’s dad, and his rendition of Deep into the Ground was both thought provoking and emotional, as well as vocally accurate. I also appreciated his interaction with Hazelby as Billy, especially when Billy’s dad comes to accept and support Billy’s decision to pursue dancing. A special mention must also go to Kyria Cooper as Debbie, who was not only a superb dancer, but also had brilliant acting skills and perfect comic timing.

Angry Dance was an impressive finale to act 1, and Hazelby’s dance skills were really shown off here. However, the musical director did seem a little anxious to keep Hazelby in time with the music; as well as to keep the banging of the plastic sheets done by the ensemble in time. It all went smoothly though, and it even provoked a partial standing ovation!

The highlight of the second act was undoubtedly Electricity, although Dream Ballet is a close contender. I really realised how much emotion could be conveyed through dance, and the link between young Billy and older Billy was brilliant. I also liked the performance of first cover Mr Braithwaite, Phil Snowden, who was a talented dancer and made this relatively minor character into a far more memorable one. Electricity, again, showed Hazelby’s dancing ability and his seemingly never ending stamina!

The finale was a spectacle, and the audience was highly appreciative of the cast, giving them a full standing ovation. After the bows, Walmsley made a plea towards the audience to vote for Billy Elliot in the Olivier Audience Award, which was amusing, but seemed slightly desperate. Anyway, this did not detract from the preceding performance, which I thoroughly enjoyed, particularly due to the stunning performances from the child actors.