The Billys cast in the first Billy Elliot the Musical UK and Ireland tour – Lewis Smallman, Matthew Lyons, Adam Abbou and Haydn May. Picture: Jonny Ruff
The producers of the multi award-winning Billy Elliot the Musical have confirmed the names of the four boys who will share the title role in the hit show’s first ever tour of the UK and Ireland.
Twelve-year-old Adam Abbou; 11-year-old Matthew Lyons; 11-year-old Haydn May and 12-year-old Lewis Smallman were cast following nationwide auditions. The boys will alternate in the role when the show opens at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on 24 February.
Liverpudlian Adam Abbou trained at Nazene Danielle’s Dance Dynamix and has competed in various regional and national dance championships. He has previously appeared in South Pacific and Peter Pan at the Liverpool Empire.
Leeds native Matthew Lyons trained at the West Yorkshire School of Performing Arts and has appeared in Matthew Bourne’s production of Lord of the Flies at the Bradford Alhambra.
Bath-based Haydn May trained at the Dorothy Coleborn School of Dancing and is a member of Tap Attack in Swindon and the Bristol Hawks Gymnastics Club. He has appeared in Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan, all at the Theatre Royal, Bath.
West Bromwich’s Lewis Smallman trained at Arabesque Dance Academy and Renaissance Arts. He has appeared in the English Youth Ballet’s Swan Lake and in the The Sound of Music at Sutton Town Hall. He is also a keen gymnast with Sandwell Flyers Gymnastic Academy.
The boys will be joined by Henry Farmer (ten years old from Lancashire); Elliot Stiff (nine years old from Sutherland) and Samuel Torpey (nine years old from Manchester) who will alternate the role of Billy’s best friend Michael. Sharing the role of Debbie will be Lily Cadwallender (ten years old from Hartlepool); Evie Martin (ten years old from Middlesbrough) and Italia Ross (ten years old from Hartlepool).
The youngsters will join the already announced adult cast of Annette McLaughlin (Matilda, Chicago) who will take on the pivotal role of Mrs Wilkinson alongside Martin Walsh (TV’s Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey) as Dad; Scott Garnham (Made in Dagenham, I Can’t Sing!) as Tony; and Andrea Miller (Sweeney Todd, Sister Act) as Grandma.
The company will also include: Phillip Aiden, Jonathan Alden, Leo Atkin, Tom Bainbridge, Deborah Bundy, Jack Butterworth, Luke Cinque-White, Donna Combe, Wayne Fitzsimmons, Nikki Gerrard, Abbie Louise Harris, Paul Hutton, Leon Kay, Charlie Martin, Kris Manuel, Barnaby Meredith, Daniel Page, Georgina Parkinson, Amy Rhiannon-Worth, Rachel Spurrell, Sebastian Sykes, Rafe Watts and Luke Zammit.
The show will remain at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth until 2 April before moving on to the Sunderland Empire (6 – 30 April) followed by the Bradford Alhambra (10 May – 11 June); Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (14 June – 16 July); Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (26 July– 3 September); Edinburgh Playhouse (20 September – 22 October); Bristol Hippodrome (25 October – 26 November); Manchester Palace Theatre (29 November – 28 January 2017); Southampton Mayflower (7 February – 4 March 2017 ); and ending with its run at the Birmingham Hippodrome (7 March – 6 May 2017).
Billy Elliot the Musical is the creation of the award-winning team of writer Lee Hall (book and lyrics), director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and Elton John who composed the show’s score. The production features scenic design by Ian MacNeil, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.
The first Dutch production of Billy Elliot the Musical continues at the AFAS Circustheater in The Hague. Productions have previously been staged on Broadway, in Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago, Toronto and Seoul. The North American touring production, which began in 2010, finished its hugely popular run in August 2013 with an engagement in São Paulo, Brazil, the first time Billy Elliot played in South America. Further international productions are planned including the first Japanese production in 2017.
Billy Elliot the Musical is presented by Universal Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions and is based on the Universal Pictures/Studio Canal film. The show is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene. Angela Morrison and David Furnish are executive producers.
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