I kind of suspected I wasn't the first one to spot this element in the show Billy is incredibly lucky and in fact a unqiue - and lonely - figure. For most of them though, this change never comes. The story of BETM is one about people dreaming to escape the life they were born into - and gender is an essential part in that. Imagine being trapped in a community and then being forced out of the security it offers - even if it's a bleak kind of security. And what to think of Maggie Thatcher herself, who has been labeled both The Iron Lady and 'the only man in the Cabinet'? She's not really a character in the musical but at the same time, what would the story be without her? She is the opposite of what a 'woman should be' in the miners society of Durham and hated for forcing her policies of change on the community. Wilkinson, by her language and attitude, is an example of a female character with masculine traits. Michael - just as his Dad! - is a male character with feminine traits. Throughout all this, the gender division is played out more subtly as well. This is ofcourse the heart of the story and not only a symbol of following your dreams through adversity but also an obvious example of challenging gender roles. No real change is made, it's all an illusion.ДЄnd in this environment, where boys do boxing and girls do ballet, Billy crosses the boundaries.

Wilkinson: 'outside, our lives are loony and sad but in here we sparkle'. Both men and women look for a way out of a situation they feel trapped in - men in booze, women in dancing, as in Grandma's case and also in the message from Mrs. Grandpa apparently was an alcoholic too and as we know from Debbie, alcholism is still around in Billy's days. If you were unlucky enough to become a victim of domestic violence you couldn't get out. 'Seventeen, that was it, your life ended when you had a ring around your finger'. She was married because that's the way it went back then. The mines are in danger of closing which means the foundation of the society itself is in danger and with it all the rules and roles and codes that go with it. As Billy grows up though this status quo is challenged. This is the framework that has been there for years. The women are destined to stay at home and be mothers. The town's existence depends on the mines and it's the men who go down into the mines. The roles of men and women in the society Billy grows up in. Like many speciality shoes, it takes a while to break in, so they try to hang on to them as long as possible.Д«ook your tickets for Billy Elliot on tour.Another topic in this Forum brought this to mind. Each boy grows out of his shoes at least once, often twice, during his time with Billy Elliot the Musical.

In each show, the performing Billy will wear seven pairs of shoes вЂ“ one pair of trainers, three pairs of tap shoes, one pair of ballet slippers, one pair of bedroom slippers and one pair of tap covers.ДЎ0. The change into Riot is done behind the barricades, costumes are hung on the barricades ready for the cast to grab.В Two of the wardrobe team have to run on stage and help to clear the costumes before they end up making a stage debut!Д©. The wardrobe team spend 5 hours a day on maintenance to repair all the costumes from the previous show.ДЁ. All the tap shoes are grip taped across the front and back taps to prevent slipping this is replaced constantly throughout the show.Д§. BillyвЂ™s fastest change in the show is the change from GrandmaвЂ™s Song to Solidarity.Д¦.

The wardrobe team spend roughly 4 hours in the afternoon and 3 hours during the show doing laundry to get it all washed and ironed.ДҐ. The men have 3 pairs of miner boots each, one pair has built in taps and one pair are steel toe capped so they can move the pit gates safely.Д¤. Billy changes an item of clothing every time he exits the stage.ДЈ.

Everyone on stage has a tutu apart from tall boy, thatвЂ™s 31 tutus in total.Дў. We caught up with the Billy Elliot the Musical Tour wardrobe team to discover some interesting facts from behind the scenesвЂ¦ДЎ.

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