Last Updated on 20 September 2021 by Showcall Editorial Team
A new UK production of musical Billy Elliot will run at Curve in Leicester in 2022
Leicester’s Curve theatre is to stage the first new UK production of award-winning musical Billy Elliot.
Directed by the theatre’s artistic director Nikolai Foster, it is due to run exclusively in Leicester for only six weeks from 7 July to 14 August 2022, with opening night on 14 July.
It will be choreographed by Lucy Hind, who previously worked on musicals Girl From the North Country and The Last Ship.
The musical is based on Stephen Daldry’s 2000 film starring Jamie Bell and Julie Walters and features music from Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall.
The original production, also directed by Daldry, premiered at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre in 2005 and went on to win a host of international awards including four Olivier Awards and 10 Tony Awards. It closed after 4,600 performances in April 2016.
Adult casting, led by Curve associate Kay Magson CDG, is to be announced. Children’s casting will be managed by Jo Hawes CDG: visit johawes.com for details.
The new production’s set and costumes will be designed by Colin Richmond and lighting will be designed by Curve associate Ben Cracknell.
Tickets for Billy Elliot The Musical at Curve will go on sale to Curve Friends from Thursday 30 September, Curve Supporters from Friday 1 October, Members, Groups and Access Register Customers from Monday 4 October and on general sale from Monday 11 October, all at midday.
In a joint statement, Foster and Curve chief executive Chris Stafford said: “We are beyond excited to share Lee Hall and Elton John’s astonishing musical Billy Elliot with Curve audiences, ensuring summer 2022 in Leicester is truly memorable.
“Billy Elliot is a musical filled with incredible characters, epic ideas and at its heart, the story of a young boy who has the passion and courage to dance down a different path from the one prescribed for him.
“We are indebted to the incredible creatives who made Billy such a hit and hugely grateful they have trusted us to create the first brand-new UK production for our audiences in Leicester.
“Collaborating with a terrific production team and an incredible cast of the most exciting young performers, we are proud to present this mighty musical which recognises the value of culture in our society, the importance of expressing your truest self and gives a voice to the courageous working-class communities who are depicted in Lee Hall’s astonishing play – all beautifully framed by Elton John’s electrifying score.”
Set in the mid 80s during the time of Margaret Thatcher and the miners’ strike, it follows a young boy in County Durham who falls in love with ballet. In a close-knit community where family and tradition means everything, can Billy forge a new destiny and follow his passion?
Billy Elliot The Musical is a tale of determination, acceptance and daring to be different, featuring songs such as “Solidarity”, “He Could Be a Star”, “Expressing Yourself” and the show-stopping “Electricity”.
