A lucky 18-year-old performing arts student from South London will get the chance to make her West End debut after winning a competition to join the cast of Billy Elliot The Musical for one special performance.
Croydoner Rebecca White was randomly chosen from more than 1,600 other hopefuls to win the incredible experience that will see her join the cast of the hit West End show in two of the production’s numbers.
To enter the competition, White had to answer the question famously posed to Billy during the show: What does it feel like when you are dancing? She answered: “It makes me explore my artistic side and emotions through movement. It makes me feel happy and alive. It makes me more passionate about the career I want to do.”
In preparation for the once in a lifetime treat, she will have to learn the routines while rehearsing with the cast, get fitted for her costume and have her hair and make-up done by the Billy Elliot team.
An excited White said: “It’s a dream come true for me to be given this fantastic opportunity to perform in Billy Elliot The Musical on the West End stage and I am so looking forward to working with such a talented company. When I found out I had won the competition, I couldn’t believe it. I have always been a huge fan of the show and I can’t wait to take my first steps on to the West End stage with my friends and family watching from the audience.”
Based on the hit film, Billy Elliot The Musical tells the story of a young boy who, growing up in the North East of England amid the miners’ strikes of the 1980s, discovers a surprising talent for dance.
The musical stage adaptation, which features music by Sir Elton John, opened at London’s Victoria Palace theatre in 2005. It went on to win five Olivier Awards and more than 80 other awards across the globe, and has been seen by nearly nine and a half million theatregoers worldwide.