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Billy searches for new cast members
The auditions kicked off today in Manchester, and continue on Friday in Leeds, Saturday in Newcastle and next Tuesday 30 May in Glasgow. Hopefuls should have strong voices, and movement and tap skills would be an advantage. They should prepare one pop/rock song and bring sheet music to be played by an accompanying pianist. Successful auditionees will be expected to rehearse in London from October, to start performances in December at the Victoria Palace theatre. Billy Elliot - The Musical reunites the team behind the film of the same name - director Stephen Daldry and writer Lee Hall - and has music by Elton John. The story follows young boy Billy, brought up without a mother in a Northern mining community hard-hit by the 1980s miners' strikes. Unenthused by his boxing lessons, Billy finds he prefers dancing and, encouraged by ballet teacher Mrs Wilkinson, he auditions for the Royal Ballet School. It has been a busy year for the show, which has just celebrated its first birthday with a gala performance featuring all three original Billys - several actors alternate performances in the demanding lead role. George Maguire, James Lomas and Liam Mower jointly picked up a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical at this year's ceremony, becoming the youngest ever recipients of such an award. As well as collecting three other Laurence Olivier Awards, the musical picked up gongs in all the major theatre awards last season. The role of Billy is currently played by Mower, Leon Cooke, Travis Yates, Colin Bates and Matthew Koon, with two additional Billys due to join the cast in September. Haydn Gwynne plays dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson, Philip Whitchurch is Billy's father and Chris Lennon plays his brother Tony. Details of forthcoming audition days are as follows: LEEDS NEWCASTLE
Saturday 27 May 2006 GLASGOW |
Aspiring musical stars have the chance to join the ensemble cast of one of the West End's most successful shows. Billy Elliot - The Musical is looking for a new crop of performers to play the men and women of the Durham mining community, and is holding open auditions in the north of England starting this week.