Photo Flash: First Look at Brodie Donougher in UK's BILLY ELLIOT

Today, 19 November 2014, eleven year-old Brodie Donougher from Blackpool, gives his first performance in the title role of the internationally award winning Billy Elliot the Musical. Brodie joins a cast lead by Ruthie Henshall who plays Mrs Wilkinson, Billy's dance teacher and Deka Walmsley who plays Billy's dad, and becomes the thirty-ninth boy to perform the iconic role at the Victoria Palace Theatre and the seventy-sixth boy to perform the role worldwide, including Jamie Bell who played Billy Elliot in the award-winning film. Also joining the cast today will be 10 year old Connie Fisher from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, who will play Mrs Wilkinson's daughter Debbie. In addition 19 girls from London and surrounding counties aged 9 - 14 join the cast as Ballet Girls. Billy Elliot the Musical is currently booking at the Victoria Palace Theatre to 19 December 2015.

September this year saw a record breaking twenty-five former and current Billy Elliots come together on stage in a specially choreographed mash-up finale of Billy Elliot the Musical at a unique performance that was broadcast live to the UK and around the world from the show's West End home at the Victoria Palace Theatre. All three original Billy Elliots - James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower - took part in a spectacular finale as the broadcast, the widest ever cinema release of a live event, hit number one at the UK box office. Two special screenings of Billy Elliot the Musical Live also took place at the historic Easington Social Welfare Centre, formerly the Easington Colliery Miners' Institute, one of the settings for Billy's inspiring story. Billy Elliot the Musical Live will be available on Blu-ray and DVD and Digital Download on 24 November 2014.

The adult cast of Billy Elliot the Musical is led by Ruthie Henshall as Billy's dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson, Deka Walmsley as Billy's dad, Chris Grahamson as Tony and Ann Emeryas Grandma, joined by Claudia Bradley, Howard Crossley, Barnaby Meredith andDavid Muscat. Ensemble members are Craig Armstrong, David Bardsley, Paul Basleigh, Spencer Cartwright, Lucinda Collins, Gillian Elisa, Lee Hoy, Ruri James, Chris Jenkins, Charlie Martin, Alan Mehdizadeh, Steve Paget, Ben Redfern, Charlotte Riby, Mark John Richardson, Mike Scott, Phil Snowden, Wendy Somerville, Spencer Stafford and David Stoller.

Brodie Donougher joins Elliott Hanna (11 years old from Liverpool), Ollie Jochim (12 years old from Chelmsford, Essex), Bradley Perret (12 years old from Juan les Pins, France) and Matteo Zecca (12 years old from Buckinghamshire) who alternate the title role. Todd Bell (12 years old from Whitehaven, Cumbria), Tomi Fry (12 years old from Swindon) and Zach Atkinson (13 years old from Manchester) play the role of Billy's best friend Michael.Connie Fisher joins Kyria Cooper (11 years old from Hartlepool) and Demi Lee (11 years old from Middlesbrough) to alternate the role of Debbie.

Based on the Academy Award® nominated film, Billy Elliot the Musical has been dazzling London's theatergoers at the Victoria Palace Theatre since 2005, and has gone on to captivate audiences around the world, winning over 80 theatre awards globally including 10 Tony Awards® and 5 Olivier Awards.

Billy Elliot the Musical has now been seen by nearly 10 million people worldwide and is brought to life by the multiple award-winning creative team behind the film including writerLee Hall (book and lyrics), director Stephen Daldry, and choreographer, Peter Darling, joined by Elton John who composed the show's score. 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.

Productions of Billy Elliot the Musical have been staged on Broadway, as well as in Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago, Toronto and Seoul, South Korea. The North American touring production, which began in 2010, finished its spectacular run in August 2013 with an engagement in São Paulo, Brazil, the first time Billy Elliot played in South America. The show begins performances in the Netherlands earlier this month, and further international productions are currently planned.

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. The show is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene. Angela Morrison and David Furnish are executive producers.

Photo Credit: Alastair Muir

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