"Billy Elliot" now booking to 1 April 2006

"Billy Elliot" now booking to 1 April 2006

Billy Elliot : The Musical, extends 6 months and is now taking bookings to 1 April 2006 at the Victoria Palace theatre

The show opened 11 May 2005, following previews from 31 March, to terrific notices from the popular press: MICHAEL BILLINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "Billy Elliot succeeds brilliantly because Elton John's music and, especially, Peter Darling's choreography enhance Lee Hall's cinematic concept." CHARLES SPENCER for THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "Billy Elliot strikes me as the greatest British musical I have ever seen." ALASTAIR MACAULAY for THE FINANCIAL TIMES says, "Elton John's music is too often formulaic but about half of this show achieves dramatic poetry of a kind rare in any kind of theatre."PAUL TAYLOR for THE INDEPENDENT says, "Funny, touching and shamelessly enjoyable staging."

The cast is: Haydn Gwynne (Mrs Wilkinson), Tim Healey (Dad), Anne Emery (Grandma), Joe Caffrey (Tony), Steve Elias (Mr Braithwaite), Trevor Fox (George), Stephanie Putson (Mum). As previously announced Billy will be performed by James Lomas from Sheffield, George Maguire from Essex and Liam Mower from Hull, who will alternate playing the title role during the run. Joining them will be Tyneside born Brooke Havana Bailey, Emma Hudson and Lucy Stephenson, playing Debbie - Mrs Wilkinson's daughter, and Brad Kavanagh from Cumbria, Ashley Lloyd from Blackpool and Ryan Longbottom from Dewsbury, playing Michael - Billy's best friend.

Billy Elliot : The Musical is 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 show 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 and choreography by Peter Darling .

Billy Elliot is 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.