Billy Elliot the Musical

[JohnA]

We are doing a production on 'Billy Elliot the Musical' in the latter part of July as part of the Billy Youth Theatre.

 

We are trying to find suitable Wooden Chairs That Fit The 1984 era that are not to big or heavy like some of the wooden ones you find in churches i.e. with their little shelf's on the back of the chair. It seems most schools (well all the schools I have tried around me) have got rid of their wooden ones and replaced them with plastic ones. Does anyone have any idea where I might source some around the Watford area? I need a minimum of 2 up to a maximum of 15.

 

Also as there were 115 licences granted to perform Billy Elliot all around the country, is there anyone other group out there that has any other kit, props, backdrops or scenery they might like to hire out or sell?

 

For example I am also still looking for

 

• The Miners Duffel Coats Either Plan Black or With The Orange Shoulders, but they have to be in small or medium sizes. Yes, I might get some off ebay, but if the other groups are like us we purchase stuff and keep it for a long, long time and then maybe we use the items again, but mostly not. So I feel it might be nice if some other group earns a little income rather than some retailer.
  
• A Banner or Backdrop from a Coal mining Union – in 'Billy' it was Easington, but almost any other would do.
  
• A large Shimmer Curtain (to fly in from above).
  

If you want please feel free to PM me.

 

Regards

[Ynot]

Not sure how much good it'll be to you but we have 8 or 10 plain black chairs bought for a show a couple of years back. They were bought I believe from Ikea, and I believe this could be the style, if not the actual design - pretty similar.

 

If you can get to Warwickshire with a van (if they're not in use of course) I'm sure we can work on a hire fee. <_<

 

Also we MAY have a donkey jacket - actually one I used to own but donated to our costume dept years ago - it's not orange, but is white on the back/shoulders and has GPO embroidered on it - but that could be masked, 'm sure...

[Calder]

Try Edinburgh Gang Show Productions Limited, they have just finished a production and have all the bits you need.

 

C.

[JohnA]

Ynot

 

Thanks for your quick reply. I like the chair, it is about the size what we are looking for. However taking to our director he really wanted a natural wood colour, typical of the 1985 school chair, although he hasn’t ruled your chairs out. Can I come back to you on them?

 

Calder,

 

Thanks for you comment.

 

I don’t know the Edinburgh Gang Show Productions Limited myself. Just out of interest did you see the Billy Elliot show they put on for yourself? You say “they have just finished a production and have all the bits you need” so I assume you must – so I will therefore try and contact them.

 

The reason why I asked is that there were 115 licences granted to perform Billy, most of them from the midlands going north. All of these 115 licences expire, at the latest, on 31st July 2010 so there have been a lot of shows already preformed. The problem is trying to work find which of the 115 are the ones likely to have what I need. It is not that everyone will intemperate and perform the show in a standard west end performance style.

 

 

So if anyone out there can think of any other shows that may have what I need please let me know. Some of the stuff I am looking for e.g. a large Shimmer Curtain is not likely to be in many of the Billy shows, but it may have been in other shows. Also the chairs could have been in other shows as Ynot indicated.

 

Many thanks.

 

John

[J Pearce]

I have a number of old (and old looking) armed 'captains' chairs in the scenery store at work. I'd need to check how many we have, but I think it'd be about 10-12. They're plain wood with age dirt and varying degrees of wobble.

 

If you do the collection/return then you could probably have them for a nominal donation.

 

[edit]

The shape is something like this but more rounded and less boxy. If I get a chance tomorrow I'll take a picture, but my phone camera isn't too good.

[Matthew Robinson]

The Miners Duffel Coats Either Plan Black or With The Orange Shoulders

 

You may have more luck searching for Donkey Jackets. My dad used to have an NCB jacket when he worked for them, but apparently it got nicked.

 

most of them from the midlands going north

Presumably, it's being performed in all the old mining communities.

[Ynot]

A large Shimmer Curtain (to fly in from above).

I missed that bit - we have several sets of slash curtain in the stores - Gold, Silver, Blue, Red, Peach, Green and Multi-coloured.

each set is around 16 ft drop, in 3 foot sections, 10 sections per set. PM me if you want more detail on those. :unsure:

The gold/silver get used the most (darned dance schools...!) but they're still in reasonable nick.

[Calder]

John

 

The EGSPL show took place in the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh which I happened to be working on. Their website is: http://www.egspl.org.uk/HireStore.aspx all contact info for hiring is there.

 

Hope that helps

 

In haste

 

C.

[JohnA]

Sorry all I was away for a few days, took my laptop but for some reason it wouldn’t connect to the internet.

 

J Pearce.

 

Looking at the captains chairs they won’t unfortunately fit in with the routine in what we want to do e.g. slide sideways across the chair and pick them up and hold the over the casts your (they would be a little heave when they move in slow motion). Also thanks for taking the picture because until I saw the picture I was quite sure what you meant by the Captains chair, but thanks for the offer.

 

MR7526,

 

The NCB orange Donkey jackets are around, but in few numbers or I have been told some have come in from china (orange without NCB), but who and where I don’t know. Yes there are quite a few in old mining towns performing Billy.

Hi again Ynot,

 

I got a text from one of my colleagues who suggested getting 10 x 3 ft wide ones when he found out you can get them in almost any length. Then when I spoke to him last Tuesday he was just about to order some.

 

Calder,

 

Thanks for the contact info, I contact them and see what they have got.

 

Regards

 

John

[cedd]

Not Billy Elliott, but have worked on Brassed Off before. Again, lots of mining bits and pieces in it.

The company in question contacted the National Coal Mining Museum, who were pretty helpful in providing mining hats, lanterns, etc.

 

Ah... I remember my duffel coat, itched like mad!

[JohnA]

Ceed,

 

Thanks for that, I will try them as well.

 

Regards

 

John