Harrison Dowzell Joins The Cast of the West End’s Billy Elliot the Musical

Harrison Dowzell becomes the 30th boy to play the title role of Billy Elliot in the West End musical. Dowzell, who joins the cast of Billy Elliot on May 14, will alternate the role of Billy with Harris Beattie, Kaine Ward, Ryan Collinson and Adam Vesperman. He will be the 65th boy to play the role worldwide, including Jamie Bell who played Billy in the original film.

“I loved the film Billy Elliot so much that when I saw the audition poster in my dance studio I thought I would try my luck,” said Dowzell in a statement. “[When] I got the part of Billy Elliot I was so happy I could have burst. When I first arrived in London I was a little nervous, but within a couple of days I felt like I had been here for months. I am really excited about my first performance as Billy.”

Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of one boy’s dream to realize 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.

Billy Elliot features music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, direction by Stephen Daldry, choreography by Peter Darling, scenic design by Ian MacNeil, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.