Two years ago Youth Music Theatre: UK performed the acclaimed Goblin Market, a big-budget musical with stunning scenery and costumes, which had a long run in a large theatre. This time, by contrast, they give only two performances in a theatre workshop of a work in development. They still succeed superbly.
The show is about a day in the life of a schoolboy named Billy (Elliot, of course). At first we see a normal, unexciting day in his life, including his failure to ask out the girl of his dreams, Brenda. Then, in the park, he meets a magic tramp, who grants his wish and changes his life for the better. Unfortunately for Billy, one side effect of this is that his life has now become a Hollywood musical; his mother, father and sister are all happy and smiling at breakfast and break into song at every opportunity. So do his friends, teachers and everyone he meets. He and Brenda get together but then everything happens too quickly; before he knows it hes engaged and then married, and hes only thirteen!
Finally, Billy manages to find the magic tramp who reverses his wish and everything is back as it was, except that Billy now manages to ask Brenda to go out with him. A happy ending to a very enjoyable production.
