Billy Elliot the Musical tour releases rehearsal photos ahead of its Sunderland opening

Deka Walmsley as Dad with a young cast member playing Billy in rehearsal. Photo: Foteini Christofilopoulou.

The first rehearsal photos from the new UK and Ireland tour of Billy Elliot the Musical have been released, ahead of next week's opening at Sunderland Empire. The original production, directed by Stephen Daldry, plays Sunderland from 4 to 28 November 2026, and tickets are on sale now.

Taken by Foteini Christofilopoulou, the pictures show the company at work in the rehearsal room, with Lesley Joseph as Grandma, Deka Walmsley as Dad, Annette McLaughlin as Mrs Wilkinson and Liam Mower as Older Billy, alongside the young dancers sharing the title role.

Based on the 2000 film, the musical is set in a northern town during the 1984/85 miners' strike and follows Billy from the boxing ring to the ballet class, where he discovers a passion for dance. Seen by more than 12 million people across five continents and the winner of more than 85 awards, it now comes home ten years after it last played in London and the UK.

The tour company

The title role is shared by four young performers. Billy's best friend Michael, Debbie and the ballet girls are also played by teams of young performers who alternate.

McLaughlin returns to Mrs Wilkinson, the role she played on the first UK tour in 2016. Walmsley has played Dad before, at the Victoria Palace Theatre, and Joseph, who was Olivier nominated for Young Frankenstein, is best known to television audiences from Birds of a Feather. Mower was in the original London cast as Billy, a performance that won him the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Jack Bandeira, whose screen work includes Happy Valley, Andor and Sex Education, plays Tony.

The company also includes Tanesha Aba, Marc Akinfolarin, Natasha J Barnes, Robbie Boyle, Lydia Bradd, Jack Bromage, Jennifer Caldwell, Alex Christian, Adam Crossley, Natalie Durkin, Nathan Elwick, Ian Gareth-Jones, Shirley Jameson, Jenny Legg, Jay Luca Allan, Charlie R Miller, Lewis Mortier, Perry O'Dea, Matt Overfield, Mark Pearce, Aidan Stuart and Lucy Warway.

The creative team

The show is created by the team behind the film, with script and lyrics by Lee Hall, music by Elton John, direction by Stephen Daldry and choreography by Peter Darling. Ian MacNeil designs the set, Nicky Gillibrand the costumes, Rick Fisher the lighting and Paul Arditti the sound, with hair, wigs and make up by Campbell Young. Martin Koch is musical supervisor and orchestrator.

The tour is directed by Simon Pollard, with associate choreography by Jeroen Luiten. It is presented by Universal Theatrical Group and Working Title Films, and produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene.

Where is the tour going?

The tour visits eight venues, including a 25 week West End season, between November 2026 and February 2028:

• Sunderland Empire: 4 to 28 November 2026
• Palace Theatre Manchester: 2 December 2026 to 9 January 2027
• Edinburgh Playhouse: 19 January to 6 February 2027
• Adelphi Theatre, London: 12 February to 31 July 2027
• Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff: 10 to 28 August 2027
• Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin: 14 September to 9 October 2027
• Alhambra Theatre, Bradford: 19 October to 6 November 2027
• Bristol Hippodrome: 1 to 26 February 2028

See all the regional tour dates and more on the Adelphi season.

Is it on sale yet?

Yes. The production's official website lists every date on the route as on sale now, from the Sunderland opening through to the final week in Bristol.

More to read

Catch up on the casting announcement for the return, explore our guide to every song in Elton John's score, or read our five star review of Curve's 2022 production.