Billy Elliot the Musical - cast changes
Lizzie Guilfoyle
FROM December 1, 2008, Brad Wilson, Joanna Riding and Joe Caffrey will join the cast of Billy Elliot the Musical, which is currently booking at the Victoria Palace Theatre until October 24, 2009.
Set in the North East of England, Billy Elliot the Musical is a funny, heart-warming and feel-good celebration of one young boy’s dreams and is an adaptation of one of the most popular British films of the last decade.
Twelve year old Brad Wilson from Doncaster will alternate in the title role with 12 year old Tom Holland from Kingston-upon-Thames, Tanner Pflueger also 12 years old but from Norfolk, Nebraska, and 13 year old Fox Jackson-Keen from Hornsey, London.
Multi Olivier award-winning Joanna Riding, who joins the cast to play Billy’s dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson, has appeared in numerous musicals – Me and My Girl, the National Theatre’s production of Carousel (as Julie Jordan), My Fair Lady (Eliza Doolittle), Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown), The Witches of Eastwick (Jane), A Little Night Music (Anne Egerman), Lady Be Good (Susie) and Martin Guerre (Bertrande).
Her other theatre credits include Blithe Spirit, An Ideal Husband, Hobson’s Choice, The Happiest Days of Your Life, The Portrait of Dorian Gray, My Mother Said I Never Should, The Merry Wives of Windsor and most recently, Mark Ravenhill’s cycle of plays Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat at the Royal Court Theatre.
Joe Caffrey, who previously played Billy’s brother Tony, returns to the production to play Billy’s Dad, Jackie Elliot. His numerous theatre credits include Love’s Labour’s Lost, We are the People, Cooking With Elvis, Charlie’s Trousers, Dirty Nets, NE1, Close The Coalhouse Door, Bandits, Keepers of the Flame and Black and White Shorts.
His equally numerous screen credits include The Bill, Distant Shores, Catherine Cookson’s Colour Blind, Quayside, The Last Musketeer, Ain’t Misbehaving, Soldier Soldier, Doctors, Byker Grove, Attachments, Holby City, Badger, Hetty Wainthrope Investigates and Spender (TV); Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason and The One and Only (film).
You might also be interested to know that Caffrey’s grandfathers were both miners and during the 1984/85 strike Caffrey became a member of The Workey Tickets, a capella band that performed many fund raising benefit concerts for the striking miners and their families.
The score for Billy Elliot the Musical was composed by Elton John, choreography is by Peter Darling, designs by Ian MacNeil, sound by Paul Arditti and lighting by Rick Fisher. Billy Elliot the Musical is presented in London by Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions in association with Tiger Aspect.