Australia Finds Four Young Stars for 'Billy Elliot'

Director Stephen Daldry today announced the four Australians actors who will alternate the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical, which opens at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, on December 13, 2007. Lochlan Denholm (from Melbourne), Rhys Kosakowski (Newcastle), Rarmian Newton (Melbourne) and Nick Twiney (Sydney) will share the role of Billy Elliot with rehearsals scheduled to begin in early July. The full company will join them in August, and the first public performance is scheduled for November 13. 
 
Billy Elliot the Musical, which features book and lyrics by Lee Hall and a score by Elton John, opened in London in May 2005, where it received glowing reviews, broke UK box office records, and still plays to capacity houses at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The creative team behind the Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated film Billy Elliot, including Hall, Daldry, and choreographer Peter Darling, all worked on adapting the film for the stage.

Press notes state, "Set in the North East of England it is a funny, heart-warming and feel-good celebration of one boy's dreams set against the historic British miners' strike of 1984/85. The story follows the journey of a young boy raised in a small mining town who, after stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, realises that his future lays not in the boxing ring, but on stage as a dancer."

Daldry states: "Performing the role of Billy is like playing Hamlet whilst running an Olympic marathon. The creative team have been constantly astounded by the level of talent in Australia and are delighted with the stamina, energy, charisma and total star quality of the four extraordinary young lads who will open the show Down Under."

Billy Elliot the Musical features set design by Ian MacNeil, costumes by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting by Rick Fisher, sound by Paul Arditti and music supervision by Martin Koch.

Photo of Rhys Kosakowski, Lochlan Denholm, Nick Twiney, and Rarmian Newton by James Morgan