Photo Flash: BILLY ELLIOT Celebrates 10 Years in the West End

Over 570,000 tickets are released for sale today, 6 September 2013, taking booking for Billy Elliot the Musical to16 May 2015 during which time the internationally award-winning show will celebrate 10 years in the West End. Check out the photos below!

Billy Elliot the Musical features music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, is directed by Stephen Daldry with choreography by Peter Darling. The production features scenic design by Ian MacNeil, the associate director is Julian Webber, costume design is by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.

Billy Elliot the Musical, which received its world premiere on 31 March 2005 at the Victoria Palace Theatre, has seen thirty four boys play the title role in London, while 71 boys have played the role worldwide. Since its first performance, with a company of actors aged 6 to 83 years including 430 children, Billy has danced his way through over 3,500 performances in London's West End. As well as many VIP visitors including royalty, politicians, Olympians and stars of stage and screen, Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osborne have all played cameo roles accompanied at a special gala performance by Elton John who stepped into the role of ballet class pianist, Mr Braithwaite.

Winner of five Olivier Awards, including the 2013 BBC Radio 2 Audience Award voted for by the theatregoing public, and recipient of over 80 awards internationally, including ten 2009 Tony Awards, Billy Elliot the Musical which has now played over 7000 performances globally, has been seen by over 4 million people in the West End and over 9 million worldwide, across five continents.

Based on the Oscar nominated film, Billy Elliot the Musical is an inspirational story of one boy's dream to realise his ambitions against the odds. Set in the North East of England against the background of the historic 1984/85 miners' strike, Billy pursues his passion for dance in secret to avoid disapproval of his struggling family.

Productions of Billy Elliot the Musical have been staged on Broadway, as well as in Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago, Toronto, Seoul, South Korea and a North American tour which recently travelled to São Paulo, Brazil. Further international productions are planned for Holland and Germany.

Billy Elliot The Musical is presented in London by Universal Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions in association with Tiger Aspect and is based on the Universal Pictures/ Studio Canal film.

For more information, visit: www.billyelliotthemusical.com