Billy Youth Theatre West End Gala
Lizzie Guilfoyle
BILLY Elliot The Musical has announced the 14 groups that have been selected to perform at the Billy Youth Theatre West End Gala, which takes place at the Victoria Palace Theatre on Sunday, July 18, 2010.
They are Ariel Young Actors (Burgess Hill, Sussex), Canon Slade School (Bolton, Greater Manchester), City Youth Theatre Company (Hove, East Sussex), CODYS Productions (Warrington, Cheshire), Coomeshead College & King Edward VI Community College (Newton Abbot, Devon), Polka Dot Academy (Spalding, Lincolnshire), Sandbach School Theatre (Sandbach, Cheshire)…
… Scottish School of Musical Theatre (Motherwell, Scotland), Shotton Hall Theatre School (Pertlee County Durham), Stagecoach Oxford (Bicester, Oxfordshire), Stagecoach Theatre Arts Darlington and Yarm (County Durham), STP Musicals (Southampton, Hampshire), Youth On Stage Theatre Company (Bowers Gifford, Essex) and West Glamorgan Youth Theatre (Swansea, Wales).
It was in November last year, to celebrate five years in the West End, that the producers of Billy Elliot the Musical launched Billy Youth Theatre, a new initiative providing schools and youth groups around the country with the opportunity to perform their own productions of the internationally award-winning show.
Since the launch, 115 groups and over 5,000 young people from Stirling to Southampton have taken part in the Billy Youth Theatre which was open to schools and established youth groups in England, Scotland and Wales, and to performers aged 10 to 19.
Talking about the project, Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall, who originally conceived the idea behind Billy Youth Theatre, said: “I am thrilled that so many young people around the country have had the opportunity to bring the story of Billy Elliot to life in their local communities.
“We have seen some amazing performances from groups throughout the UK and are delighted that some of them are also being given the opportunity to perform at great regional theatres around the country and in the West End. Congratulations to them all.”
And Billy Elliot director, Stephen Daldry said: “The response to the Billy Youth Theatre has surpassed our expectations. To have been able to offer over 5000 young people the chance to have been so closely associated with our production of Billy Elliot The Musical has been a great experience for us. Our creative team have seen some wonderful excerpts of our musical performed by exceptionally talented young people countrywide.”
Gala tickets: £15 – available from the box office on 020 7834 1317.
Read more about Billy Youth Theatre