Billy Elliot
Location: Victoria Palace Theatre
When the hit movie Billy Elliot was introduced to audiences many years ago, no-one could have imagined that the story of a ballet dancing miner’s boy could become such as big hit. But here we are, now introducing Billy Elliot: The Musical to audiences in the West End.
The movie introduced us to the actor Jamie Bell, who has since gone on to star in big Hollywood movies including the hit Jumper (2008) where he appeared alongside Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episodes II-III) and Samuel L Jackson.
The new musical version has been lapping up the praise since it opened on Wednesday 11th May 2005 at the Victoria Palace Theatre. Critics and audiences alike have been amazed at the great music written by Elton John that brilliantly accompanies the story originally penned by Lee Hall.
Billy Elliot takes us back to the England of 1984 when Margaret Thatcher’s policies had led to the famous miner’s strike in the North East of the country. Billy is a boy with a humble background, his mother is dead and his father is one of the striking miner’s, along with his brothers. His dad has plans for him, and wants him to pursue a career in boxing, which would mean he follows in his and his own father’s footsteps. However, Billy has other plans as he is more interested in the performing world of ballet. With his dad set on him following a more macho career path Billy realises that he must at first keep this a secret, but as the story progresses it seems that his family can be more understanding than at first thought. Therefore he begins to work hard to win a coveted place at the Royal Ballet School.
The musical has been such a success that in 2008 there were even rumblings that a new movie version could be on the way, this time adapted from the hit West End version. It means that one day, a musical version of Billy Elliot could be lighting up cinema screens all over the world.
With the original movie so popular and the stage version proving just as successful, there is no telling what levels of achievement another movie could receive.
So make sure you book Billy Elliot Tickets so that one day you might be able to look back and say you were there where it all began.