Billy Elliot cast changes from 13 May 2013

Cast changes in Billy Elliot The Musical from 13 May 2013, Anna-Jane Casey will join the cast as Billy's dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson; Kevin Wathen as Billy's brother, Tony, Howard Crossley as George and Alexander Loxton as Older Billy.

They join current cast members Deka Walmsley (Billy's Dad), Kay Milbourne (Dead Mum), Simon Ray Harvey (Mr. Braithwaite), and Ann Emery (Grandma).

New ensemble members Claudia Bradley, Lee Hoy, Dean Maynard, Alan Mehdizadeh, Ryan O'Gorman, Charlotte Riby and Edmund Shaw will join current ensemble Craig Armstrong, David Bardsley, Paul Basleigh, Spencer Cartwright, Lucinda Collins, Matthew Dale, Gillian Elisa, Helen French, Ruri James, David Muscat, Steve Paget, Spencer Stafford and Mike Scott.

Billy Elliot : The Musical opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre on 11 May 2005, following previews from 31 March, to terrific notices from the popular press. It has book & Lyrics by Lee Hall & Music by Elton John. It is directed by Stephen Daldry, designed by Ian MacNeil, lighting by Rick Fisher, costumes by Nicky Gillibrand, choreography by Peter Darling, sound by Paul Arditti. Produced by Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan co-Chairmen of Working Title Films and theatre impresario Sally Greene, from Old Vic Productions along with Jon Finn.

The story of a boy from a humble Tyneside background, whose mother is dead, and whose father and brother are caught up in the bitterly fought community-splitting miner's strike of 1984. Billy's father wants his son to learn to box, like him and his father before him. But instead Billy becomes fascinated by the grace and magic of ballet. BILLY ELLIOT is about Billy's gritty and determined struggle, at first in secret, but then with the wholehearted backing of his family, to dance his way to the brightest of futures by winning a place at the Royal Ballet School.

Anna-Jane Casey was last on stage in Spamalot at the Playhouse Theatre. Her other London theatre credits include The Comedy of Errors at Regent Park's Open Air Theatre, Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre and the West End productions of Cats, Children of Eden, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Out of the Blue, Starlight Express and West Side Story.

Kevin Wathen's London theatre credits include Breakfast with Johnny Wilkinson at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Hamlet for the Old Vic and Skellig at the Young Vic.

Howard Crossley has worked extensively for the Royal Shakespeare Company. His other stage credits include Comedians, Can't Pay Won't Pay and Waiting for Godot all for the Young Vic. He played the role of Pumbaa in The Lion King from 2001-2007.

Alexander Loxton, who trained at Elmhurst School for Dance and the Royal Ballet Upper School, has performed extensively with the Dutch National Ballet. He has also worked for the Royal Ballet. In 2012 Loxton performed Void for BalletBoyz in New York.