BILLY, by John Barry and Don Black, Returns to London

The Union Theatre will stage the first London revival of Billy by John Barry and Don Black since its premiere at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1974 (which starred Michael Crawford, and also an early appearance by Elaine Paige).

2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the British film classic 'Billy Liar' by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. It's 1960 and post-war Britain is about to come out of a long tunnel into the swinging sixties. However young Billy is in industrial Yorkshire a million dreams from London. Juggling three women and a tense home life, Billy reverts to childlike fantasy and dares to imagine another kind of life in London with Liz.

Billy is staged and directed by Michael Strassen whose previous productions include Call Me Madam, The Fix, The Baker's Wife and Assassins (Best Production, Off-West End Awards 2011). The Union Theatre recently won Best Fringe Theatre at The Stage Awards.

The cast will feature Mark Carroll (Jersey Boys/Oliver/Marguerite) as Geoffrey Fisher, Ricky Butt (The Baker's Wife (/Oliver) as Alice Fisher, Paddy Glynn (Billy Elliot) as Gran, Mark Turnbull (Jekyll and Hyde/Les Miserables) as Councillor Duxbury and in the iconic role played by Julie Christie in the film, Katerina Stearman as Liz with Michael Adams, Rosie Clarkson, Laura Bryars, Adam Colbeck-Dunn, Tom Senior, Michaela Cartmell, Rebecca Eastham, Ross McNeill, Joseph O'Malley, Paul Rymer and Ashley Stirling. Keith Ramsay makes his debut in the role of Billy.

The show runs Wednesday 29th May to Saturday 29th June 2013. For more information, visit www.billythemusical.co.uk.