The producers of the multi award-winning smash hit Billy Elliot the Musical are delighted to announce adult casting for the first ever UK and Ireland tour opening at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on Wednesday 24 February 2016. Annette McLaughlin will play Mrs Wilkinson, Martin Walsh ‘Dad’, Scott Garnham ‘Tony’ and Andrea Miller ‘Grandma’.
Annette McLaughlin’s many West End musical theatre credits include ‘Mrs Wormwood’ in “Matilda”, ‘Velma Kelly’ in “Chicago” and ‘Erma’ in “Anything Goes”. Her numerous Royal Shakespeare credits include roles in “The Jew of Malta”, “Measure for Measure” and “Volpone”. Her Almeida theatre credits include “Lysisitrata” and “The Odyssey”. Her other theatre credits include ‘Tracey Lord’ in “High Society” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and “Singin’ in the Rain” at the National Theatre. Martin Walsh is currently filming “Rovers” for Sky 1. His other TV credits include “Game of Thrones”, “Downton Abbey” and “Coronation Street”. He has also appeared on “The Trials of Jimmy Rose” and “Shameless”. Scott Garnham’s many West End credits include “Les Misérables” and the original casts of “I Can’t Sing” and “Made In Dagenham”. His other theatre credits include “Titanic” at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, “Grand Hotel” at Southwark Playhouse and the UK tour of “Never Forget”. Andrea Miller has appeared in numerous musicals including “Sweeney Todd”, “Into the Woods”, “Blood Brothers” and “Annie”. She most recently appeared in “Sister Act”.
The company also includes Phillip Aiden, Jonathan Alden, Leo Atkin, Tom Bainbridge, Deborah Bundy, Jack Butterworth, Luke Cinque-White, Donna Combe, Wayne Fitzsimmons, Nikki Gerrard, Abbie Louise Harris, Paul Hutton, Leon Kay, Charlie Martin, Kris Manuel, Barnaby Meredith, Daniel Page, Georgina Parkinson, Amy Rhiannon-Worth, Rachel Spurrell, Sebastian Sykes, Rafe Watts and Luke Zammit. The children of the first UK and Ireland tour will be announced in early 2016.
Set in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/’85 miners’ strike, Billy’s journey takes him out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever.
Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, Billy Elliot the Musical has now been seen by nearly 11 million people across five continents and is the recipient of over 80 awards internationally, including ten Tony Awards and five Olivier Awards. In 2006, Liam Mower, James Lomas and George Maguire, the first three boys to play the title role, became the youngest performers ever to have won the Olivier Award for Best Actor with the show also picking up the Best Musical prize.
In total, worldwide, ninety boys have now played the iconic role of Billy Elliot on stage. September 2014 saw a record breaking twenty-five former and current Billy Elliots come together on stage in a specially choreographed mash-up finale for Billy Elliot the Musical Live, a unique performance that was broadcast live around the world becoming the widest ever cinema release of a live event and hitting number one at the UK box office. In May this year, Billy Elliot the Musical celebrated its 10th birthday at the West End’s Victoria Palace Theatre where it will play its final performance on 9 April 2016 after 4,600 performances when the theatre closes for refurbishment.
Billy Elliot the Musical is brought to life by the multiple award-winning creative team behind the film including writer Lee Hall (book and lyrics), director Stephen Daldry, and choreographer, Peter Darling, joined by Elton John who composed the show’s score. The production features scenic design by Ian MacNeil, the associate director is Julian Webber, costume design is by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.
Productions of Billy Elliot the Musical have previously been staged on Broadway, in Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago, Toronto and Seoul, South Korea. The highly successful North American touring production, which began in 2010, finished its spectacular run in August 2013 with an engagement in São Paulo, Brazil, the first time Billy Elliot played in South America. The first Japanese language production will open at the Akasaka ACT Theater in Tokyo in 2017, and further international productions are currently planned.
Billy Elliot the Musical is presented by Universal Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions and is based on the Universal Pictures/Studio Canal film. The show is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene. Angela Morrison and David Furnish are executive producers.
The London production of Billy Elliot is booking until 8 April 2016. Click here to see it before it closes
BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL – UK AND IRELAND TOUR 2016/2017
WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2016
PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL www.theatreroyal.com
ON SALE NOW
WEDNESDAY 6 APRIL – SATURDAY 30 APRIL 2016
SUNDERLAND EMPIRE www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire
ON SALE NOW
TUESDAY 10 MAY – SATURDAY 11 JUNE 2016
BRADFORD ALHAMBRA www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
ON SALE NOW
TUESDAY 14 JUNE – SATURDAY 16 JULY 2016
WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF www.wmc.org.uk
ON SALE NOW
TUESDAY 26 JULY – SATURDAY 3 SEPTEMBER 2016
DUBLIN BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie
ON SALE NOW
TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER 2016
EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE THEATRE www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse
ON SALE NOW
TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2016
BRISTOL HIPPODROME www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome
ON SALE NOW
TUESDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2016 – SATURDAY 28 JANUARY 2017
MANCHESTER PALACE THEATRE www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester
ON SALE NOW
TUESDAY 7 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 4 MARCH 2017
SOUTHAMPTON MAYFLOWER THEATRE www.mayflower.org.uk
ON SALE 2 FEBRUARY 2016
TUESDAY 7 MARCH – SATURDAY 6 MAY 2017
BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME www.birminghamhippodrome.com
ON SALE 8 APRIL 2016
Photo: Alastair Muir
