Full casting has been announced for the UK and Ireland tour and limited West End season of the original award-winning production of BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL.
Annette McLaughlin will play ‘Mrs Wilkinson’, Deka Walmsley ‘Dad’, Jack Bandeira ‘Tony’ and Lesley Joseph ‘Grandma’.
Composer Elton John and Director Stephen Daldry said today, “Creating Billy Elliot the Musical was one of the most joyous and inspiring moments of our careers, so to bring the show back for a UK tour and a season in the West End for the first time in over a decade is both incredibly emotional and exciting. It’s bold, it’s British, it’s full of heart and the story feels more relevant than ever. We can’t wait for a whole new generation to experience it!”
Based on the film, the show is set in a northern mining town against the background of the 1984/’85 miners’ strike and follows Billy’s journey from the boxing ring to the ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever.
BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL has been seen by over 12 million people across five continents.
Over 125 boys have now played the iconic title role on stage worldwide, including Hollywood Film Star Tom Holland and Musical Theatre Royalty, Layton Williams.
Annette McLaughlin is no stranger to the role of Mrs Wilkinson having played the part in the last UK and Ireland tour of Billy Elliot. Her many West End theatre credits include Marya Dmitriyevna in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Warwick in Player Kings, Mrs Wormwood in Matilda The Musical, Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Velma Kelly in Chicago and Erma in Anything Goes.
Deka Walmsley returns to the role of Dad having played the part to great acclaim in both the West End production and on screen in Billy Elliot the Musical Live. His other theatre credits include Porter in Macbeth and George Brown in The Pitmen Painters. Further on screen credits include Steve in Netflix’s The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, and Tony Hutchinson in The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe and Gary Mincham in Vera, both for ITV.
Jack Bandeira’s numerous screen credits include Amazon’s Blade Runner 2099, BBC3’s Smoggie Queens, Disney+’s Andor, Netflix’s Black Mirror, Lockwood & Co, The Witcher, and BBC’s Happy Valley.
Lesley Joseph is best known for playing Dorien Green in the hugely successful sitcom Birds of a Feather, alongside Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson. Her many theatre credits include Grandma in The Addams Family, Miss Hannigan in Annie and her Olivier Award nominated performance as Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein. Her other theatre credits include Sister Act The Musical and Calendar Girls. She has been seen on screen in BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Masterchef, Channel 4’s Celebrity Coach Trip and ITV’s Night and Day.
The company also includes Tanesha Aba, Marc Akinfolarin, Natasha J Barnes, Robbie Boyle, Lydia Bradd, Jack Bromage, Jennifer Caldwell, Alex Christian, Adam Crossley, Natalie Durkin, Nathan Elwick, Ian Gareth-Jones, Shirley Jameson, Jenny Legg, Jay Luca Allan, Charlie R Miller, Lewis Mortier, Perry O’Dea, Matt Overfield, Mark Pearce, Aidan Stuart and Lucy Warway.
Alternating the role of Billy’s best friend ‘Michael’ will be Harper Etienne (10 years old from Derbyshire), Dalton Jones (9 years old from South Yorkshire), Theo Kamande (12 years old from London) and Oisin-Luca Pegg (13 years old from Birmingham). Joining them will be Lola Cant (10 years old from Durham), Paige Cook (10 years old from Durham) and Scarlett Gardener (9 years old from Sunderland) who all alternate the role of ‘Debbie’.
Playing the Ballet Girls will be Vivien Abreu, Ivy-Rae Battams, Chloe Boyle, Mikeila Buljan-Bakotic, Rose Butler, Ella Collins, Willow Crabtree, Amari Dumbuya, Ava Evans, Daisy-Mae Ford, Kyla Fowles, Lux Hardy, Marian Nguema Ndjondjo, Zizha Nguema Ndjondjo, Jessica Pipe, Eva Ramtohul, Mia Raggio and Anabelle Tran.
They join the previously announced Noah Mannion (13 years old from Stockport), Rafferty Smale (12 years old from Leigh-on-Sea), Spencer Collins (13 years old from California) and William Gurney (13 years old from Berkshire) who share the role of ‘Billy’ and Liam Mower who will play ‘Older Billy.’
Writer – Lee Hall (book and lyrics)
Director – Stephen Daldry
Choreographer – Peter Darling
Composer – Elton John
Scenic Design – Ian MacNeil
Costume Design – Nicky Gillibrand
Lighting Design – Rick Fisher
Sound Design – Paul Arditti
Hair, Wig and Make Up Design – Campbell Young
Musical Supervision and Orchestrations – Martin Koch
Tour Director – Simon Pollard
Associate Choreographer – Jeroen Luiten
Adult Casting – Pippa Ailion CDG and Natalie Gallacher CDG
Children’s Casting – Nick Hockaday CDG for Jessica Ronane Casting.
4 – 28 NOVEMBER 2026
SUNDERLAND EMPIRE
2 DECEMBER 2026 – 9 JANUARY 2027
PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER
19 JANUARY – 6 FEBRUARY 2027
EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
12 FEBRUARY – 31 JULY 2027
ADELPHI THEATRE, LONDON
10 – 28 AUGUST 2027
WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF
14 SEPTEMBER – 9 OCTOBER 2027
BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN
19 OCTOBER – 6 NOVEMBER 2027
ALHAMBRA, BRADFORD
1 – 26 FEBRUARY 2028
BRISTOL HIPPODROME