Billy Elliot releases first rehearsal photos ahead of UK and Ireland tour
Billy Elliot the Musical has released its first rehearsal photos, ahead of a UK and Ireland tour that opens in Sunderland next month. WhatsOnStage reported the release on 27 October 2026.
The show follows a boy from a mining town who finds his way into ballet. It has a book and lyrics by Lee Hall and music by Elton John. The tour is directed by Simon Pollard, with associate choreography by Jeroen Luiten.
The tour and West End return run from November 2026 to February 2028. The dates are:
- 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, West End: 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, Bradford: 19 October to 6 November 2027
- Bristol Hippodrome: 1 to 26 February 2028
The Adelphi is a West End theatre, so the show returns to London for the first time since its original run ended. That first run opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 2005 and closed in 2016. Official London Theatre lists it at 4,566 performances over that time.
Full casting was announced in early September. Theatre Weekly named Annette McLaughlin, Deka Walmsley, Jack Bandeira and Lesley Joseph as the leads. The same report confirmed new venues for the tour, with dates running through 2028.
The rehearsal photos are part of a wider run of material. A rehearsal clip shared on the show's Facebook page shows the cast working on the song 'Solidarity'. The cast page also lists Noah Mannion, who is 12 and trains with Stagebox.
Tickets went on sale on 17 April 2026. Official London Theatre lists tickets from £32.50.
