Useful Information……..……………………………………………………………………………14

moments of flashing lights. The lights in the auditorium will remain on at a low-level throughout.

On stage, there are several moving set pieces. These include four yellow metal fences that move around to create different spaces, and a three-storey structure containing Billy’s house and bedroom and the Community Hall toilets.

There is also a lift in the middle of the stage which moves up and down to create a boxing ring, stage, and a mineshaft lift. At the start of the show, the miners will emerge from under the stage. They will go back beneath the stage at the end of the show.

During several scenes in the performance, the cast will enter and exit through the audience, shouting at the people on stage. You will hear their voices, but you may not see them depending on where you are sitting in the Theatre.

The music in the show is performed live by an eight-piece band, conducted by our Musical Supervisor and Musical Director George Dyer, and sung by members of the company. The band can be seen in the top right of the stage, on the scaffolding platform. Some of the musical numbers are loud, so you might like to cover your ears or bring a pair of ear defenders to wear during the performance.

In Act Two when Billy auditions for The Royal Ballet School, you will hear the four voices of the school’s admissions team overhead. You will not see them during this scene as their voices are pre-recorded.

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Spoiler Alert! Over the next few pages is a summary of the story of Billy Elliot The Musical. You might find this helpful to read before you come to the theatre, but if you would like the story to be a surprise, skip to page 25.

Billy Elliot is set in and around Easington Colliery, County Durham between March 1984 through to early 1985, against the backdrop of the Miners’ Strike. As you enter the Theatre, a large black wall – called the iron – will be down on the stage. A yellow, British Coal-style sign displayed on the iron reads ‘Billy Elliot The Musical.’ There are several other warning and health and safety signs placed around the stage as part of the set design, to make you feel as though you are at the colliery.

A trumpet plays as the iron rises, revealing a chorus of miners emerging from the mine shaft, the lights on their hard hats illuminating the dark theatre (♫ The Stars Look Down).

As the chorus sings, community members enter to ask if there’s been any news about the miners’ strike, before joining the song. The miners take a seat across two benches in the Community Hall, as Big Davey leads them in song. A child –Kevin – arrives, shouting there’s been an update. George runs in to confirm the miners are going on strike, and they cheer. During their celebration, Scab enters. A “scab” is a miner who wants to cross the picket line and continue working during a strike. The other miners angrily tell him to leave before the song continues. The miners and community members leave, as Billy and his best friend Michael chat to one another about the strike. Filled with hope Billy continues ♫ The Stars Look Down, and the miners and community members return to begin the

strike. Miners George and Lesley tell the group to meet the following day to discuss next steps. At the Elliot household, Billy’s Dad, Jackie, is making a cooked breakfast for his family. He calls Billy from his room, as his eldest son Tony reads the newspaper. Billy’s Grandma, Edna, is walking around the kitchen in a confused manner, looking for a pasty she lost earlier. Jackie continues to call Billy in a growing state of frustration, whilst Edna insists she doesn’t want the breakfast. She says the home-cooked food hasn’t been nice since Billy’s Mam passed away, which upsets Jackie who is working hard to provide for his family. Mam is a term used in Northern England for Mum, Mummy or Mother. The miners arrive at the Elliot household as breakfast is served, further frustrating Jackie as they’re “eating him out of house and home”! Lesley joins the group to tell them the police are arriving on the picket line with the scabs. The miners swiftly exit, chanting “Maggie, Maggie Maggie! Out, out, out!”, in protest of Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister at the time. Billy joins Grandma at the kitchen table. He has found her pasty, but it’s mouldy. She goes to find a sausage roll she’s left on the landing instead, and Billy shakes his head. Whilst clearing the table and drinking out of the milk bottle, Billy slips out of space and time and speaks to his Dead Mam. She asks if he has all he needs for his boxing class, including his trainers which are in his bedroom. As he returns with his trainers, the vision of her has disappeared and he comes back to reality. In the Community Hall, the young community boys are sparring with one another. George, their trainer and a miner, is spurring them on with a series of sweary commands. Billy is late for class, so –against his wishes – George tells him he’s going to spar with Michael, but he doesn’t want to box either. The pair dance together trying to put one another off before Michael overexcitedly punches Billy. Michael apologises, and George insists Billy should

hit him back. Billy doesn’t want to, so George spars with Michael instead. The youngster jokingly punches him in the groin! Annoyed, George tells the pair he’s off down the picket line and asks Billy to give the Hall keys to Mrs. Wilkinson –the ballet teacher who runs dance classes there. The Ballet Girls are assembled at the barre as class begins (♫ Shine). Mrs. Wilkinson calls out different moves and counts as Billy tries to get her attention between commands. During the number, she sends the girls for a costume change. Billy also leaves, but Mrs. Wilkinson tells him he hasn’t done any dancing yet and encourages him to join in. Watching the other girls, he joins for the big finale. The music ends and the class leave, giving their 50p class fee to Mrs. Wilkinson as they exit. Billy doesn’t have 50p as he’s spent it on boxing; Mrs. Wilkinson tells him he can bring it next week when he comes to class again. He’s reluctant, but there’s a sparkle in his eye. As the lights in the Community Hall dim, an inspired Billy gently twirls and leaps in the darkness (Shadow Dance), before finding Grandma looking through his shoebox of personal belongings. Grandma is still looking for her snack and comes across a letter in his box. He explains it’s a letter his Mam wrote for him. Grandma asks where she’s gone, as she’s forgotten that she’s passed away together with her husband - Billy’s Grandad. Billy sighs and hands her a fresh pasty, as he asks for more information about his Grandad. She tells Billy she couldn’t forget him as he wasn’t very nice, before explaining their relationship in more detail in ♫ Grandma’s Song. Back at the Community Hall, the Ballet Girls take their places. Debbie asks Billy if he’s going to join the class again this week. He’s still unsure and tells Debbie she’s no good at it either. She explains she doesn’t have much choice with Mrs. Wilkinson being her Mam, before joining the class. Billy doesn’t have any ballet shoes but Mrs. Wilkinson has bought some for him in her handbag.

Outside the Community Hall, things are becoming heated between the police –who are lining the streets – the striking miners, and the community (♫ Solidarity). The class progresses as the strike continues, with the youngsters learning how to pirouette (a type of ballet turn), whilst punches are thrown outside the doors. Amidst the fighting, George asks Jackie if everything is okay with his money as Billy hasn’t been to boxing; Jackie is surprised. Tony gets hit by a police officer, and father and son quickly leave the demonstration. In the ballet class, Mrs. Wilkinson is focused on Billy, neatening up his ballet form - it’s clear Billy is the star pupil. As the choruses overlap, Jackie enters the Community Hall to find Billy being tutored by Mrs. Wilkinson. Despite the pair explaining the merits of ballet, Jackie is disappointed in his son and bans him from attending. Billy storms out. In the Toilets, Billy asks Mrs. Wilkinson why she had to get involved in his family’s affairs. She explains she thinks he’s suitable for The Royal Ballet School, and that auditions are coming up soon. He’s unsure, but she offers him one-toone lessons after school. She asks him to bring some items of meaning to their first session so they can create a special routine for the audition. In Michael’s bedroom, Billy discovers Michael wearing a dress and heeled shoes. Michael suggests Billy should try on some items and searches his wardrobe for appropriate clothes and colours. As he gets into a dress, Billy tells Michael about the ballet classes and audition. Michael isn’t sure Billy should do ballet but encourages him to be himself (♫ Expressing Yourself). The community youngsters emerge from inside the cupboards to join them in song and dance, with some playing instruments as others dance with ribbons. The positivity fades as we see Tony leaving the Elliot household with a crowbar in hand. Jackie is waiting for him in the kitchen and encourages his son to stay out of trouble. Tony goes head-to-head with his Dad, telling him he’s been a waste of space since his Mam died. Jackie punches his son, as Billy appears and

yells at them to stop. He runs to his bedroom in a rage, clutching his Mam’s letter to his chest. At the Community Hall, Billy and Mrs. Wilkinson are beginning their one-to-one lesson. He’s brought his shoebox along, and presents a Rubik’s Cube, Star Trek Annual, a tin of baked beans and a packet of soup to his teacher. Mrs. Wilkinson is annoyed he hasn’t brought anything of personal importance, before spotting his Mam’s letter in his hand. She reads it aloud (♫ The Letter) as Billy slips out of space and time to see his Mam also reading her letter to him. The letter ends, and she fades from view once again. Mrs. Wilkinson is moved, her emotions interrupted by the arrival of the class pianist Mr. Braithwaite.

Mrs. Wilkinson and Mr. Braithwaite explain the key ingredients of dance to Billy, before launching into ♫ Born to Boogie. The trio dance together, with Mrs. Wilkinson teaching Billy some key moves and positions during the energetic routine.

In the Toilets, Debbie asks Billy if he’s nervous for his audition – and if he fancies her. Their cheeky conversation is disrupted by Mrs. Wilkinson, who sends her daughter outside before handing Billy his audition tape and telling him where to meet her for the audition in Newcastle. In the streets, Tony is badly beaten by three police officers resulting in a cut on his head. He returns to the Elliot household, where he’s cleaned up by his Dad and the other miners. Dressed for his audition, Billy enters the kitchen and asks what’s going on. His Dad tells him he isn’t going anywhere as there are police across the village. Billy opens the back door to find a frustrated Mrs. Wilkinson – she’s been waiting for him at the Welfare Club. With his family already fired up he tells her to leave, but she’s determined to get him there. She explains to Jackie and Tony that he’s been having private lessons, and his potential for The Royal Ballet School.

Tony does not approve of his little brother “poncing around”, and questions Mrs. Wilkinson’s experience as a teacher. He wants to see Billy dance, placing him on a chair before angrily telling him to dance. Billy refuses, so Tony tells Mrs. Wilkinson to leave him alone. She yells back at Tony and tells Billy he doesn’t have a chance without the backing of his family, as the miners hide from the police. Billy tells his Dad his Mam would have let him dance – he yells back that she’s dead. Upset, Billy jumps off the chair and performs his solo Angry Dance, starting in his bedroom before becoming part of the riot outside. Time for the interval. At the start of Act Two, we join the community at The Easington Miners’ Annual Christmas Show at the Community Hall. The community boys collect money from the audience using buckets and pans, whilst the rest of the villagers mingle in Christmas jumpers and outfits. George, dressed as Santa, takes to the stage to host the event. The whole community – including the children - bursts into a political jig about Margaret Thatcher (♫ Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher), with four of the adults donning Margaret Thatcher masks. Two further adults dance around as a pantomime horse. The number ends and George calls Jackie to the stage. The community asks him to sing ‘Big Spender’, but he decides to sing a folk song in tribute to his late wife instead (♫ Deep Into the Ground). The emotional song reduces Jackie to tears, with Billy picking up the final verse. Jackie hands Billy the remains of his beer, before going home with Tony. As the room clears, Billy and Michael discuss the rubbish Christmas they’re having, and whether Billy has been back to ballet. He explains he’s packed it in, and Michael is happy about this as he would miss his friend if he went away. Billy rubs his cold hands together as he gets ready to leave. Michael notices, and takes his hands in his own, placing them under his coat to warm them. Billy

blushes as Michael kisses him gently, insisting that just because he does ballet doesn’t mean he’s gay. Breaking out of the embrace, Billy tosses his friend a tutu. Michael wants to learn some ballet moves and taunts Billy whilst dancing along the bench, before slipping onto his bum. Billy tells him he should go home - and that he can keep the tutu. Michael leaves, and an older version of Billy appears with young Billy. Out of space and time the pair dance together, mirroring one another’s movements. Billy’s Mam appears and takes young Billy into an embrace, with Older Billy echoing the cuddle. You might also spot Grandma at the top of the building watching on in this scene. The happiness turns to sorrow at the moment of his Mam’s death, as a trio of miners pull Billy away from his passion and into a life down the pit. Jackie appears at the back of the room and watches his son dance, before bringing Billy back to reality by telling him to go home. Realising Billy’s passion for dance, Jackie visits Mrs. Wilkinson. He asks her if Billy is capable enough to join The Royal Ballet School and how much it would cost. She tells him they’ll never know as he missed the earlier audition but that there’s another coming up in London. She offers to help with the costs, but Jackie doesn’t want her support. Mrs. Wilkinson tells him to put his pride aside and accept the support. At the Colliery, Jackie is joining the scabs to the disappointment of Tony and the striking miners. Through tears, Jackie explains he’s doing it because he wants to give Billy a chance at his dream (♫ He Could Be a Star). The discussion becomes fiery, with punches thrown. Billy runs into the crowd and is accidentally hit in the face, falling to the floor. All attention turns to him, as Big Davey tells the group to stop tearing one another apart. The community donate their loose change to Billy to help him get to the audition.

In the Hall, Billy counts the change – he has nineteen pounds, seventeen and a half pence and twelve pesos. It isn’t enough, and though Billy remains positive Tony is realistic. Scab enters the Hall with an envelope filled with cash. Tony doesn’t want to take the ‘dirty money’ but as Billy protests he agrees he can use it. Billy and his Dad arrive at the London audition. A representative for The Royal Ballet School signs them in and takes Billy into the audition room. Jackie waits outside, first approached by a Posh Dad and then an experienced Royal Ballet Dancer, leaving him feeling out of his depth. In the audition room, Billy and three other dancers are completing an exercise. The audition wraps up, and Billy is disappointed he didn’t get to show his prepared dance. A Posh Boy tries to comfort him, but Billy is frustrated and punches him as the representative and Jackie enter the room.

The audition panellists are disappointed by his actions and make it clear they aren’t acceptable, before asking their final audition questions. They ask Billy how it feels when he’s dancing, and he explains throughout his solo, ♫ Electricity.

Back home at the Soup Kitchen, everyone asks Billy if he has heard anything after his audition. The next day, a letter arrives addressed to Billy. Jackie, Tony and Grandma want to open it, but Tony insists Billy should be the one to do it. He arrives home, takes the letter upstairs and opens it, before returning to the dining room table. He tells his family he didn’t get into The Royal Ballet School, and places his head in his crossed arms on the table and cries. Tony opens the letter and realises Billy is lying - he did get in after all! The trio dance round the room. Their happiness is disrupted by George and the miners, who tell the Elliots they’ve lost the strike. Billy remains positive but they know the reality isn’t so bright.