Elliott Hanna will become the youngest ever boy to play Billy Elliot when he takes to the stage in the hit musical this evening.
The aptly named 10-year-old is the 34th talented youngster to play the title character in the Olivier Award-winning production about a boy who goes against his family’s wishes to pursue his dream of becoming a ballet dancer.
When the young Liverpudlian – the youngest winner of the Janet Cram Modern Theatre Award – joins the cast of Billy Elliot The Musical tonight it won’t have been the first time he has stepped foot on a West End stage, having performed at the Savoy theatre for the Queen’s Jubilee celebration.
Talking about his new role, Hanna said: “I am really excited to be playing Billy Elliot and joining this fantastic cast. When I was told I had the part I couldn’t believe my ears. I hope all my friends from Liverpool will come and see me in the West End.”
Hanna will be joined in the cast by Demi Lee as Debbie, the daughter of Billy’s dancer teacher Mrs Wilkinson. The 10-year-old from Middlesbrough said that she was “really grateful” to be given the opportunity to appear in the hit musical, continuing: “I am so excited about making my West End debut in such a brilliant show.”
Featuring a book by Lee Hall and music by Elton John, the cast of Stephen Daldry’s production includes Anna-Jane Casey, Deka Walmsley, Kevin Wathen, Howard Crossley, Alexander Loxton, Kay Milbourne, Simon Ray Harvey and Ann Emery.
Billy Elliot The Musical is now in its ninth year at the Victoria Palace theatre where it has been seen by more than four million people and picked up five Olivier Awards including the public-voted BBC Radio 2 Audience Award earlier this year.