Billy Elliot (2000) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 30 titles created 22 Jul 2012 a list of 40 titles created 08 Aug 2013 a list of 42 titles created 09 Mar 2014 a list of 40 titles created 30 Aug 2014 a list of 49 titles created 9 months ago Search for " Billy Elliot " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 54 wins & 63 nominations. See more awards » Videos Six unemployed steel workers form a male striptease act.

The women cheer them on to go for "the full monty" - total nudity. Director: Peter Cattaneo The daughter of orthodox Sikh rebels against her parents' traditionalism and joins a football team. Director: Gurinder Chadha A talented young dancer has to learn to fight for his dream despite social and parental disapproval. Directors: Stephen Daldry, Brett Sullivan Stars: Elliott Hanna, Ollie Jochim, Bradley Perret The story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives. Director: Stephen Daldry A cynical, immature young man is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy. Directors: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz Stars: Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette Edit Storyline County Durham, during the endless, violent 1984 strike against the Thatcher closure of British coal mines.

Widower Jackie Elliot and his firstborn, fellow miner Tony, take a dim view of 11 year-old second son Billy's poor record in boxing class, which worsens when they discover he sneakily transferred to the neighboring, otherwise girls-only-attended ballet class. Only one schoolmate, closet-gay Michael Caffrey, encourages Billy's desire, aroused by the teacher, who judged him talented enough for private lesson, to train and try out for the world-renowned Royal Ballet audition. Only the prospect of a fancy career unimagined in the pauper quarter may twist pa and big brother's opposition to indispensable support. Written by KGF Vissers See All (248) » Taglines: Inside every one of us is a special talent waiting to come out. The trick is finding it. Genres: Rated R for language | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 10 November 2000 (USA) See more » Also Known As: £1,541,109 (UK) (29 September 2000) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia Julie Walters admittedly went through the menopause during the production and considered the filming of the dance sequences to be painful.

She needed several breaks because she experienced hot flashes. See more » Goofs When Jackie is inside the bus leading to the mine, an egg hits his window (at around 1h 14 mins), but when the bus is viewed from outside, the window is clean (01:14:44). See more » Quotes (Odessa, Ukraine) – See all my reviews I have been looking for Billy Elliot for more than two years. I heard that it should be very good or even excellent film and another reason for watching it was that I have seen several Working Title films before (About a Boy, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral) and I found all of them much more sincere and emotional than average Hollywood products. Also these British films have something to offer that you rarely can find in Hollywood movies: a charming heartwarming mixture of sweet and funny comedy and inspiring and touching drama. Last month, finally, I found the tape. From very first moments of the movie my eyes were riveted to the screen and when the movie ended feelings and emotions overflowed me. Billy Elliot in my opinion Billy Elliot is a brilliant movie, easily one of the best movies of the year and most likely of the current decade.

Director of the movie Stephen Daldry brought to us an exceptional, truly inspiring and moving, emotional and poignant movie. The entire story and all the characters are completely believable and the atmosphere of small provincial town somewhere in North-Eastern England skillfully captured and transmitted to us. Sometimes the movie is sad, sometimes it's funny but Stephen Daldry's work never leave you indifferent. The story occurs in a small coal-mining town in 1984 and there are signs of a severe depression all over the town. You can see all around a shadow of distress and even poverty. Some simple but incredibly powerful scenes bring to us sad feeling of hopelessness and even despair. There is a big coalminers strike in the town but it's easy to see that it's also the hopeless strike. But all this is only a masterfully recreated background for main story of the title character, a twelve years old boy. He recently lost his mother and both his father and elder brother are striking coalminers. Billy is forced by his father to attend boxing classes and one day accidentally he see the girl ballet classes that occur in same room and he find ballet much more interesting than hated stupid boxing.

So he attends those ballet classes instead the boxing and there is nothing surprising that after a few weeks his father suddenly finds out that Billy didn't attend boxing and worst of all he is attending the ballet classes. The main conflict occurs. Billy must fight for his choice, fight against his own family. There are two stereotypes against him. First one is that ballet for girls, not for boys (lads do football... or boxing... or wrestling). And second sounds even worse: all male ballet dancers are gays. Billy is not but no one from his family except aged grandma want even heard about ballet. There are only two people in the whole town, who support him  middle-aged ballet teacher Mrs. Wilkinson and his friend Michael, who is the same age as Billy and who found that he is possibly a gay. This gay subplot easily became for conservative audience a very controversial question. But the fact is that such stereotypes are not invented by the director of the movie and if you would try to learn more about this terrific picture you will found that Jamie Bell, who took dance lessons from age six, suffered from similar sneers and taunts. Billy's problem is that he must fight not only against bad obstacles and misunderstanding but also against strong social stereotypes.

Several brilliant come scenes and bright humor greatly emphasize the struggles of the main hero. Jamie Bell playing Billy has on of the best performances ever among young actors. His performance (and particularly dance sequences) is so genuine, bright and sincere that all the time we can easily feel an expression of a young boy, not a director, choreographer or writer. BAFTA award for best actor of the year is well-deserved and it is pity that conservatism of the Academy too often becomes an insuperable obstacle for many great movies. Julie Walters (an Academy nomination for best supporting actress) as Billy's ballet teacher also did a great job as a talented woman as a talented women who forced to teach in small provincial town for pitiful salary. The chemistry between teacher and student is another great line in Billy Elliot. Two other important supporting characters  Billy's father and elder brother Tony are also excellent and their evolution is perfectly showed by Stephen Daldry's direction. The beautiful soundtrack is a perfect combination of a classic (including a nice reference to great Swan Lake) and modern music. The original "R" rating shouldn't mislead you. Except for strong language it should be easily a PG-13.

But this is a very rare case where some strong language and profanity are necessary for authenticity and characters understanding. The movie is suitable for teens and it definitely is able to give some good lessons for them. 10 out of 10 looks well deserved. Thanks for reading and sorry for my bad English 89 of 97 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes CNN.com - Entertainment - 'Billy Elliot' actor wins award - February 5, 2001 'Billy Elliot' actor wins award Jamie Bell made feature film debut as an aspiring young ballet dancer LONDON, England (CNN) -- Teenage actor Jamie Bell has won a major award for his role in the film "Billy Elliot." The youngster, who played the title role as an aspiring ballet dancer in a tough northern mining town, took the best newcomer title at the Evening Standard Film Awards. Julie Walters, who played his dance teacher in the film, was named best actress. "Topsy Turvy," Mike Leigh's period comedy about the birth of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Mikado," was another double winner. It took the prized best film title, while its star, Jim Broadbent, landed the best actor accolade.

Bell, just 14, has won huge acclaim for his performance in "Billy Elliot." His sensitive portrayal of an adolescent who wins over his disapproving father with his talent earned him best actor nominations for the Baftas and the Screen Actors Guild awards. He was also best newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards last year for his movie debut as Billy. Bell picked up his award from Martine McCutcheon, who is soon to star as Eliza Doolittle in a London stage version of "My Fair Lady." Walters -- also in the running for a Bafta but for best supporting actress -- was recently voted the nation's all-time favourite actress. The event at London's Savoy Hotel paid tribute to director Peter Yates -- whose work has included the all-action "Bullitt" to the poignant portrait of an aging actor and his assistant in "The Dresser" -- who was given the "special award." He was chosen for his "extraordinary contribution" to the British movie industry and has worked with such luminaries as Robert Mitchum, Dustin Hoffman and Stanley Baker.

Sir Tom Courtenay -- who played the camp valet in "The Dresser" -- praised the director with a personal address before handing him the award to Yates, who is currently developing a script set in a drying-out clinic. Also rewarded at the event, hosted by comic Jack Dee, was the animated blockbuster "Chicken Run," which was named best comedy. Full list of winners: Best actor -- Jim Broadbent ("Topsy-Turvy") Best actress -- Julie Walters ("Billy Elliot") Peter Sellers Award for comedy -- Peter Lord/Nick Park ("Chicken Run") Best Screenplay -- Neil Jordan ("The End Of The Affair") Evening Standard/Carlton Television award for most promising newcomer -- Jamie Bell ("Billy Elliot") Technical achievement -- Andrew Saunders ("The Golden Bowl") Best documentary -- Mark Jonathan Harris for "Into The Arms Of Strangers: Stories of the Kinderstransport" Special award -- Peter Yates Will the Real Billy Elliot (Movie Muse) Please Relevé - The New York Times The New York Times Movies |Will the Real Billy Elliot (Movie Muse) Please Relevé Search Continue reading the main story At a recent meeting of senior staff members at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Michael M.

Kaiser, the president, welcomed a shy, slight, short-haired man who was seated at the head of the table. ''Philip has the distinction of being the real Billy Elliot,'' Mr. Kaiser said as he introduced Philip Mosley, 34, a dancer with the Royal Ballet. ''And it is his life that you see on the screen.'' The staff members applauded. Mr. Mosley grinned. ''Billy Elliot'' was Britain's surprise film hit of 2000, about an 11-year-old in Durham, a bleak town of striking coal miners, who would rather study ballet with the girls than take boxing lessons with the boys. He dances in secret, and when his grieving widowed father and overbearing brother, both striking miners, find out what he is doing, they are horrified. ''Lads do football or boxing or wrestling,'' not ballet, Billy's father says. But the father and brother eventually turn around. Billy is accepted to the Royal Ballet School in London. The film ends with an adult Billy dancing the lead in an all-male production of ''Swan Lake.'' So is Mr. Mosley the real Billy Elliot? Perhaps he is one of several people who helped inspire the character.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story Ever since the film was released, Mr. Mosley has become famous in a way his dancing in the corps never made him. He has been portrayed and has portrayed himself as the model for the role. When Mr. Kaiser introduced the dancer, he explained that Mr. Mosley had received no payment for sharing his life story with the filmmakers, joking that he was invited to every premiere ''in anticipation of a lawsuit, which will not be forthcoming.'' Anthony Russell-Roberts, administrative director of the Royal Ballet, was only a bit more circumspect about whether Mr. Mosley was the real Billy Elliot. ''I think Philip did have a material impact on the way the story was shaped and perhaps gave it real credibility,'' he said. ''Philip certainly believes that it absolutely came about that way.'' British journalists seem to believe Mr. Mosley is Billy. ''Tonight at Covent Garden, it really is Billy Elliot,'' screamed a headline in The Evening Standard a few months ago. But perhaps the real Billy Elliot does not exist. Or perhaps there are dozens of Billy Elliots. Perhaps the film tells the story of many young male dancers who followed their passion despite financial hardship and societal stereotypes. After all, the story of Mr.

Mosley's childhood does not exactly track with the upbringing of the boy in the film. Although Mr. Mosley's grandfather and oldest brother were miners, his father was a plumber, his mother a worker in an underwear factory. Both parents fully supported the activities of their seven children, including Mr. Mosley's dancing. The emergence of Mr. Mosley as the ''real'' Billy Elliot has led some of his fellow dancers to poke fun. ''I'm the real Billy Elliot!'' exclaimed Alastair Marriott, a dancer with the Royal at a garden party at the British ambassador's residence in Washington the other evening. ''My father actually was a coal miner.'' Advertisement Some of Mr. Mosley's fellow dancers have taken to calling him Billy. And during one difficult rehearsal, his colleagues chanted, ''Go, Billy, go,'' a line shouted in the film by Billy's brassy, bighearted, chain-smoking dance teacher. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to.

Sign Up Privacy Policy In a telephone interview from London, Lee Hall, the screenwriter of ''Billy Elliot,'' said that he had already written a first draft of his script when he met Mr. Mosley. ''But it was fascinating to talk to him because the details of his life that he shared with me paralleled the story I had written,'' Mr. Hall said. ''Philip's father wasn't a miner, but he came from a mining family, and I was just amazed that he came out of that environment to become a star. He was more an affirmation than a model.'' Mr. Hall also said he drew on his own experiences growing up in Newcastle during the miners' strike where, he said, ''there were police everywhere, and everyone suffered privations.'' As a voracious reader of fiction and poetry as a child, ''I was very much an oddity, and I got picked on by the kids,'' Mr. Hall said. ''I wanted to capture that kind of character in the film.'' He chose a young dancer, he said, to ''find something more cinematic.'' So is the screenwriter the real Billy Elliot? Sort of. ''I call the film a sort of fantasy-autobiography,'' he said.

Another ''Billy Elliot'' is the film's star, Jamie Bell, who in real life is a prizewinning tap dancer who was reared in the coal-mining region of England. He started dancing when his mother, a single parent, took him along to his older sister's dance class because she did not have a baby sitter. He beat out 2,000 contenders for the role of Billy and won the British equivalent of the Oscars. Mr. Hall said he did not resent the fact that Mr. Mosley portrays himself as the real Billy Elliot. ''It's very nice that he wants to claim to be Billy Elliot,'' he said. ''He's a very lovely man. I'm flattered.'' One byproduct of the film is that it spawned dozens of articles in the British press about Billy-Elliot-like dancers. One 24-year-old principal dancer at the Birmingham Royal Ballet said he found himself in tears watching the film because it told the story of his life. The parents of a 12-year-old dancer from Birmingham called him a real-life Billy Elliot during their court battle, which argued that his rejection for public funds for his dancing was a violation of his human rights.

Another byproduct is that the film has suddenly made male ballet dancers more acceptable. The Royal Ballet School, which has always attracted dancers from different social and economic backgrounds because of its scholarship program, has been inundated with inquiries from families of boys who want to become dancers. Advertisement Continue reading the main story ''What was so exciting about the film is that it put the spotlight on the fact that there are people who are coming from humble origins and they have really made it,'' Mr. Russell-Roberts said. ''It is absolutely the case that there is much more interest on behalf of potential male dancers.'' As for Mr. Mosley, he is a dancer in the autumn of his career and is training to become an administrator. He was one of Mr. Kaiser's first students in arts administration when Mr. Kaiser directed the Royal Opera House in London before joining the Kennedy Center. ''Dancing is a young person's job,'' Mr. Mosley said. ''My back -- I couldn't do what I did three years ago. My body was packing up. I was losing confidence. It was time to move on. But I'm not super-intelligent or an Oxford graduate.

It's Michael Kaiser who's pushed me in a new direction.'' If he had to do it over again, Mr. Mosley said, he would have become a tap dancer. ''But I'm too old to be Gene Kelly now,'' he said.

''And I can't sing.'' Web Page: Content: (RoRo, B, C, PCPC, Acap, Ho, LLL, VV, N, A, D, MM) Romantic worldview of working class boy overcoming social obstacles to pursue his dreams, with moral & redemptive elements concerning his clash & ultimate reconciliation with his father, marred by politically correct anti-capitalist moments & politically correct references to homosexuality & cross-dressing; 68 mostly strong obscenities & 7 profanities; angry strike rallies with eggs thrown at bus & strike riots with police chasing & beating one man in one scene; no sex implied or depicted but young friend of 11-year-old hero is homosexual cross-dresser who kisses him on the cheek in one scene & boy visits teacher’s daughter, who lightly strokes his cheek in one romantic scene; upper male nudity in naturalistic contexts; alcohol use; smoking; and, deception, stealing, rebellion, arguments, spying on one’s parent, & talking back. Summary: Young newcomer Jamie Bell stars in BILLY ELLIOT, a movie about a working class 11-year-old boy in England who escapes his harsh social environment by recognizing and using his talent for ballet.

BILLY ELLIOT in many ways is a poignant and often humorous family drama that’s somewhat derailed by frequent use of strong foul language and a Marxist, politically correct, pro-homosexuality ideology that appears at times. Review: A boy, man or female who pursues an unlikely “gender-bending” occupation, one that most people believe (mistakenly or not) is reserved for the opposite sex, is fraught with all sorts of radical feminist, Marxist and even homosexual connotations these days. That’s the case with the new movie, BILLY ELLIOT, about an 11-year-old English lad in coal mine country who decides to abandon the boxing tradition of the men in his family for that of ballet. Starring 13-year-old newcomer Jamie Bell in the title role, the movie tells how 11-year-old Billy’s recently widowed father Jackie and his brother Tony are on strike from their jobs in the coal mines in 1984 Northeast England under conservative anti-communist Margaret Thatcher. Billy, of course, misses his mother dreadfully, and his dad struggles to make ends meet as Thatcher’s government allegedly refuses to meet any of the miners’ terms.

With his dad’s mind on finances and Billy’s brother, Tony, treating him like a terrible nuisance, Billy’s only comfort is his school friend Michael. One day during boxing lessons at the local boy’s club, Billy looks longingly at the girls doing ballet under the chain-smoking attentions of their teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson (played by Oscar nominee Julie Walters of EDUCATING RITA and the recent TITANIC TOWN). After a friendly invite from the teacher’s daughter, Debbie, Billy joins the dancers. He likes it so much that, instead of using the money from his dad for the boxing lessons, he uses it to pay for ballet lessons from Mrs. Wilkinson. In short order, this dynamic woman soon believes that Billy is good enough to try out for the Royal Ballet in London. When Billy’s father finds out about the ballet, however, he is extremely displeased . . . not only by Billy’s deception but also by the very idea of his son taking up a profession which he thinks is designed only for girls and men filled with perverted homosexual lust. Billy tries to break through the walls of his father’s prejudice and his own doubts and fears.

In many ways, BILLY ELLIOT is a poignant and often humorous family drama. The filmmakers tell this interesting story well, and the acting by all parties, especially Jamie Bell as Billy, Gary Lewis as the father and Julie Walters as the ballet teacher, is excellent. Although the movie does not treat Billy’s deception concerning his poor father’s hard-earned money harshly enough, strong family values eventually win out in the end. The relationship between Billy and his father (and between Billy and Tony) grows to becomes quite moving and uplifting. The movie also shows the strong positive bond between Billy and his maternal grandmother, who’s a bit senile but lucid enough to know what Billy’s dancing really means to him. These family situations lie at the heart of this well-produced movie, which chugs along rather nicely, especially in the entertaining, original dance numbers. They are somewhat derailed, however, by much strong foul language and by the movie’s Marxist political correctness. Concerning the latter, BILLY ELLIOT clearly sides with the idea that government-run coal mines are a good idea and that the government therefore should be very generous in pay and benefits for the miners in such mines, even if the mines don’t earn enough profit.

Furthermore, although ballet is admittedly a perfectly acceptable profession for a man or a woman, the filmmakers use this issue to subtly but firmly attack traditional notions of masculinity. They also use it to present a pro-homosexual message. For example, Michael, Billy’s school friend, turns out to be a latent homosexual. This idea of “sexual orientation” is a completely fanciful psychological theory that politically correct Marxists, feminists and “hommosexual” activists have foisted on the world’s society for the last few years. These radical leftists have done so in many ways, including very subtle ones that only someone who’s firmly, intelligently and vigilantly grounded in a traditional biblical worldview can discern. Not only does Michael turn out to be a latent homosexual, he also shows up one day wearing a dress when Billy comes to visit Michael at his house. Michael informs Billy that Michael’s own father secretly wears dresses himself, implying that Michael has been spying on his own dad. Michael is clearly attracted to Billy and gives him a girlish peck on the cheek in one scene. The movie, however, remains ambiguous about Billy’s own sexuality, though it seems to imply that Billy likes girls rather than boys.

Despite its Marxist humanist connotations, the dominant worldview in BILLY ELLIOT seems to be a romantic one. The characters are essentially good and noble, and it is their social environment (the traditions of free market Christianity) that corrupts them. It is that harsh social environment that leads to the prejudices of Billy’s dad, the poor treatment of the miners and Billy’s own doubts and fears. The premise of the movie implies that talent and hard work can overcome the harsh injustice of one’s social environment. In the end, it is Billy’s talent and hard work, with the help of his ballet teacher and the approval of his grandmother and his friend, Michael, that help Billy achieve his dreams of escaping his environment and finding a better life. Billy’s talent and hard work also make it possible for Billy’s dad to have the pride in his son that, deep inside, he so desperately wants to have. Of course, the connection both Billy and his father share is the warm spirit of Billy’s mother, who figuratively hovers over this story. Thus, transcendental moral values and family bonds help BILLY ELLIOT hold its Marxist roots and homosexual chic at bay in the final part of the movie.

Otherwise, this movie would have become a completely unacceptable, offensive piece of work. In Brief: Young newcomer Jamie Bell stars in BILLY ELLIOT, a movie about a working class 11-year-old boy in England who discovers he has a talent for ballet dancing. His coal-mining, recently widowed father, however, is too busy feeding the family and taking part in a strike at the local government-run mine to take much notice of Billy’s needs. When he finds out about the ballet, the father becomes worried that his son is taking up a profession which he thinks is designed only for girls and men filled with perverted homosexual lust. Billy tries to break through the walls of his father’s prejudice and his own doubts and fears. BILLY ELLIOT in many ways is a poignant and often humorous family drama. Family situations lie at the heart of this well-produced, well-acted movie, which chugs along rather nicely, especially in the entertaining, original dance numbers. Jamie Bell in the title role is a true find. All of these positive aspects are somewhat derailed, however, by much strong foul language and by the movie’s Marxist political correctness.

That irrational, evil philosophy promotes a pro-homosexuality ideology that appears at times in the story Billy Elliot: still dancing 10 years on - BBC News BBC News Billy Elliot: still dancing 10 years on By Tim Masters Arts and entertainment correspondent 9 May 2015 Close share panel Image copyright David Scheinmann Image caption Original Billy Elliots James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower at the opening night curtain call in May 2005 The hit musical Billy Elliot is celebrating its 10th birthday. Based on the 2000 film starring Jamie Bell, the show opened at London's Victoria Palace Theatre on 12 May 2005, and has since been seen by 10 million people worldwide. Written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry, it includes a score by Elton John. Ahead of a gala anniversary performance on Tuesday, we caught up with some of the actors who have played the ballet-loving son of a coal miner over the last decade. Liam Mower Image copyright David Scheinmann Liam Mower was 12 when played Billy in the 2005 original cast.

Now aged 22, he is a dancer with the Matthew Bourne's New Adventures where he has starred in The Nutcracker, Edward Scissorhands and is currently on tour in The Car Man . "Billy Elliot was the first thing I'd ever auditioned for," Liam recalls. "It was quite surreal when I got the role. "Moving down to London and saying goodbye to your family was quite daunting, but we were so well looked after. "I lived in a house in London with the other Billys [child labour laws mean the starring role is shared between several actors] and other cast members. It felt like a family environment. "I was juggling the show and doing my dance training the Royal Ballet School and academic classes. It was quite difficult to find time to see my family in east Yorkshire, but being on the stage was the thing I really loved to do the most." Liam says that Billy Elliot is such a demanding role because the character is never really off the stage. "I'm working with Matthew Bourne now and doing different productions, but Billy remains one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. "Being on stage at such a young age you learn so much - especially as most of the cast are adults.

"It's opened a lot of doors for me. As soon as I was doing Billy I knew that being on stage was what I wanted to do when I was older. " Why has the musical enjoyed such longevity? "It's quite raw and gritty and people can relate to the characters, especially to Billy. Amid the turmoil of the miners' strike we see this young boy blossom and find this passion for dance. Many people return to see the show again because it's affected them in some way." Layton Williams Image copyright Alastair Muir Layton Williams played Billy Elliot between February 2007 and November 2008. He has appeared on TV in BBC Two's Beautiful People and in all three series of BBC Three's Bad Education. Now 20, he is currently in stage show The Car Man (alongside Liam Mower). Layton had no dance experience when he auditioned for the role at 11. "I had zero training, no ballet, no tap - they said to just pretend, so that's what I did. "I must have been awful, but they evidently saw something and taught me how to dance.

It was literally like the Billy Elliot story." After two years of training, Layton became one of the longest-serving Billys. "It's one of the hardest child roles out there. I've not seen anything since that has touched it. The choreography is so complex - it's a lot to ask for a child. Watching it as an adult I can't believe I actually managed to do that." Layton's favourite song and dance routine? "I loved the buzz of Electricity. I used to dread it - but then I'd do it and it would feel amazing." His advice to future Billys is to "go for it" and not to worry about missing family and friends. "It can set you up for another 10 years. It did for me. I'm 20 now and I've not gone back home since - not that I don't love my family!" Dean-Charles Chapman Image copyright ALAstair Muir Image caption Dean-Charles Chapman Dean-Charles Chapman was Billy from 2009 to 2011, but also played the role of Billy's friend Michael in 2008, after starting as Small Boy in the original 2005 cast.

He has been in BBC One's The White Queen, the film Before I Go To Sleep (alongside Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth) and he plays Tommen Baratheon in Game of Thrones. Dean auditioned for Billy Elliot's Small Boy role when he was just six years old. It was watching the three original Billy actors - George, Liam and James - that inspired him to pursue his stage career. "I wanted to be like them. They gave me the courage to do Billy Elliot in the future." He is the longest-serving Billy in the show's history. "It is a good challenge. I never thought I could lead a show for three hours but I did. It's number one on my list of achievements." Dean's favourite moment in the show is the dramatic act one closer Angry Dance. "It's where Billy has been told he can't do ballet any more by his dad and he goes into this massive rage. It's very tiring. You've got to be very fit to do it. But once you've learnt what to do it all flows naturally." What advice would he give to a boy auditioning for Billy? "Keep your head down, work really hard, don't give up - and eat the right food!

"In the house where we lived there was a food schedule on the wall: You'd have chicken one day, then pasta, all things that give you lots of energy for the show - and lots of fruit as well!" Thomas Hazelby Image copyright Alastair Muir Thomas Hazelby is 10 years old and the 40th Billy Elliot in the London production. He started dancing at the age of three at his mum's dance school. "I've been in the role for about two months," says Thomas, whose family are from Doncaster. "It's really good. It was amazing to find out I'd got the part. "It's really hard when you are on the stage but the audience is really great and I'm always buzzing when I come off. "My favourite dance is Angry Dance because I love tapping. You've got to conserve your energy through the whole first act and then just let it out." Thomas is one of four Billys in the current cast and performs at two or three shows a week. He also has school in the mornings and then rehearsals in the afternoon. "My favourite subject is maths," he says, "but for my future career I want to carry on dancing and acting. I'd like to play Billy as long as possible.

When I'm 20 I'd love to be an actor or a dancer at the Royal Ballet School." He adds: "I'm really looking forward to the 10th anniversary - it's going to be very exciting." Billy Elliot on stage The first ever performance of Billy Elliot the Musical took place on 31 March 2005 at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London. The official opening night took place on 12 May 2005. Billy Elliot ha been staged on Broadway in New York, as well as in Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago, Toronto and Sao Paulo. The first foreign language production was staged in Seoul, South Korea in 2010. More than 10 million people have seen Billy Elliot the Musical worldwide - half of them in London's West End. Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and score writer, Elton John, have all made cameo appearances in the show. Since its world premiere, 40 boys have played Billy in London, 10 have played Billy in Australia and 29 boys have played Billy in North America.

A total of 83 boys, including Jamie Bell who played Billy Elliot in the award-winning film, have now performed the title role around the world, Over the last 10 years, the London cast has pirouetted through almost 3,000 ballet shoes. BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL Attractions BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL NEW BILLY ELLIOT JOINS LONDON CAST OF INTERNATIONAL HIT MUSICAL From 1 December 2008, twelve year old Brad Wilson from Doncaster will join the London cast of Billy Elliot the Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre to play the title role, making him the thirtieth boy to play the iconic role worldwide, first performed by Jamie Bell in the original movie. He is joined by Joanna Riding who will play Mrs Wilkinson and Joe Caffrey who returns to the production to play Jackie Elliot, Billy’s Dad. Set in the North East Billy Elliot the Musical is a funny, heart-warming and feel-good celebration of one young boy's dreams.

This new staging of Billy Elliot the Musical is an adaptation of one of the most adored British films of the last decade which broke box office records across the world and was nominated for 3 Oscars and 13 BAFTA Awards. Billy Elliot the Musical has now played to over 2.6 million people worldwide since its world premiere at the Victoria Palace Theatre in May 2005. The London production, which recently celebrated its 1500th performance, is currently booking until 24 October 2009. Billy Elliot the Musical opened on Broadway earlier this month and will open at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne in December after a successful Sydney season at The Capitol Theatre. The score for Billy Elliot the Musical has been composed by music legend Elton John, the most celebrated UK singer songwriter of the last 30 years, choreography is by Peter Darling, designs are by Ian MacNeil with sound by Paul Arditti and lighting by Rick Fisher. Billy Elliot the Musical is presented in London by Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions in association with Tiger Aspect. Billy Elliot the Musical is based on the Universal Pictures/Studio Canal film.

Brad Wilson joins Tom Holland (12 years old from Kingston-upon-Thames), Tanner Pflueger (12 years old from Norfolk, Nebraska) and Fox Jackson-Keen (13 years old from Hornsey, London) who alternate the title role of Billy Elliot alongside principal cast members Joanna Riding (Mrs Wilkinson), Joe Caffrey (Dad), Craig Gallivan (Tony), Ann Emery (Grandma), Trevor Fox (George), Sean Kingsley (Mr Braithwaite), Stephanie Putson (Dead Mum) and Barnaby Meredith (Older Billy). They are joined by Dean-Charles Chapman (11 years old from Romford, Essex), George Maycock (11 years old from Solihull) and Lewis Cope (13 years old from Hartlepool) who will share the role of Michael and Annabelle Crosby-Stewart (10 years old from Darlington), Scarlet Embleton (12 years old from Newcastle upon Tyne) and Megan Jossa (12 years old from Eltham) who share the role of Debbie. From the end of December 2008 until Summer 2009, the role of Mrs Wilkinson will be played by Kate Graham.

BRAD WILSON My name is Brad and I am 12 years old and live in Doncaster with my Mum Karen, Dad Jim and two brothers Tom (15) and Keegan (18 months). I started dancing when I was 9 years old. Since then I have studied ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary dance. I have danced in many competitions and won many medals and trophies. I was invited to audition for Billy Elliot over two years ago by my dance teacher, Marilyn Baker, and since then I have been training up in Leeds before moving to the Billy Elliot House in London. JOE CAFFREY Joe Caffrey returns to Billy Elliot the Musical to play Jackie Elliot, Billy’s Dad, previously having played Tony, Billy’s brother. Caffrey’s Grandfathers were both miners and during the 1984/85 strike Caffrey became a member of The Workey Tickets, a capella band who performed many fund raising benefit concerts for the striking miners and their families.

His theatre credits include Love’s Labour’s Lost and We are the People at Shakespeare’s Globe, Lee Hall’s Cooking With Elvis at the Whitehall Theatre and on National Tour, Charlie’s Trousers, Dirty Nets, Cooking With Elvis, NE1, Close The Coalhouse Door and Bandits, all for Newcastle upon Tyne’s Live Theatre, Keepers of the Flame for the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Live Theatre, Studs for Hull Truck Theatre, Noir, Beauty and the Beast, Out of the Blue, Trouble Under Foot for Northern Stage, Black and White Shorts for Paines Plough and Births, Marriages and Deaths for the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton. His many television credits include The Bill, Distant Shores, Catherine Cookson’s Colour Blind, Quayside, The Last Musketeer, Ain’t Misbehaving, Soldier Soldier, Doctors, Byker Grove, Attachments, Holby City, Badger, Hetty Wainthrope Investigates and Spender. His film credits include Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason and The One and Only. JOANNA RIDING Multi Olivier award-winning Joanna Riding joins the cast to play Billy’s Dance Teacher, Mrs Wilkinson.

Following a run in the West End production of Me and My Girl she was cast as Julie Jordan in Nicholas Hytner’s production of Carousel for the National Theatre. Subsequently her musical theatre roles have included Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Jane in The Witches of Eastwick, Anne Egerman in A Little Night Music, Susie in Lady Be Good at the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park and Bertrande in Martin Guerre for West Yorkshire Playhouse and on tour. Joanna Riding has most recently appeared at The Royal Court Theatre in Mark Ravenhill’s cycle of plays Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat. Previously her credits include Blithe Spirit for the Theatre Royal Bath and in the West End, An Ideal Husband, Hobson’s Choice and The Happiest Days of Your Life all for The Royal Exchange Theatre, The Portrait of Dorian Gray for the Lyric Hammersmith and My Mother Said I Never Should and The Merry Wives of Windsor both for Chichester Festival Theatre.

Her more recent television credits include Doctors, Heartbeat, Where The Heart Is, The Royal, Midsomer Murders, The Brian Conley Show, Sean’s Show, Casualty, Strike Command and Wings of a Prayer. Find a show

Question: Who played the title role in the movie Billy Elliot.
Answer: Jamie Bell