Billy Elliot dances into 2011
Lizzie Guilfoyle
BILLY Elliot The Musical has extended its booking period at the Victoria Palace Theatre by almost four months – until April 9, 2011.
Previously Posted: On May 31, 2010, Genevieve Lemon will take over the role of Mrs Wilkinson in the multi-award winning Billy Elliot the Musical, which is currently booking at the Victoria Palace Theatre until December 18, 2010.
Twelve year old Aaron Watson from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, will also join the Company to become the twenty third young boy to play the title role in the West End.
Based on the Oscar nominated film, Billy Elliot the Musical is an inspirational story of one boy’s dream to realise his ambitions against the odds. Set in the North East of England against the background of the historic 1984/85 miners strike, Billy pursues his passion for dance in secret to avoid the disapproval of his struggling family.
Although Lemon will be making her West End debut as Mrs Wilkinson, she is a seasoned performer in her native Australia, where she appeared most recently in the Sydney and Melbourne productions of Billy Elliot the Musical, winning both the Sydney Theatre Award and Helpmann Award for Best Actress in a Musical as well as the Green Room Award for Female Artist in a Leading Role.
As well as numerous roles for the Sydney Theatre Company, she has also appeared in Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical, Broken Glass, Piaf, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, A Nightingale Sang and Brilliant Lies.
And her screen credits include Charlotte’s Web, Holy Smoke and The Piano (film); The Flying Doctors and Neighbours (TV).
Lemon and Watson join the current cast which includes Dean-Charles Chapman (12 years old from Essex), Oliver Gardner (12 years old from Bath), Rhys Yeomans (12 years old from Oldham, Lancashire), who alternate the title role of Billy alongside principal cast members, Joe Caffrey (Dad), Craig Gallivan (Tony), Ann Emery (Grandma), David Nellist (George), Sean Kingsley (Mr Braithwaite), Samantha Seager (Dead Mum) and Barnaby Meredith (Older Billy).
They are joined by Connor Kelly (11 years old from Scunthorpe), Jake Pratt (13 years old originally from Scarborough, now living in Middlesex) and from April 26 Joe Massey (10 years old from Cheshire), who will alternate the role of Billy’s best friend Michael and Emily Smith (10 years old from County Durham), Fleur Houdijk (12 years old from Hartlepool) and Francesca Mango (10 years old from Northumberland) who alternate the role of Debbie.
Directed by Stephen Daldry and with a score by Elton John, Billy Elliot The Musical has award-winning choreography by Peter Darling, designs by Ian MacNeil, sound by Paul Arditti and lighting by Rick Fisher.