Billy Elliot welcomes first French-born Billy

Bradley Perret & Anna-Jane Casey

11 year old Bradley Perret from Juan les Pins, France will become the thirty-fifth boy to play Billy Elliot in the West End tonight (13th November). Perret is also the first French-born boy to play the title role.

Bradley Perret said: "“I'm 11 years old and I live in the south of France with my mum Karen, dad Henri and my sister Lea-Rose. I started dancing at the age of five. After auditioning and training for the Billy Elliot the Musical I was delighted to be asked to come to London to play the role of Billy and make my West End debut in this amazing show. It’s a dream come true!”

Also joining the cast today is 11 year old Freddie Butterfield from West Yorkshire, as Billy’s best friend Michael.

Freddie Butterfield said: “I am 11 years old and live with my mum, dad and dog in West Yorkshire. I have been singing, dancing and acting since the age of six and I attend Stage 84 – The Yorkshire School of Performing Arts. I absolutely love being on stage and I have performed at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford as Chip in Beauty and the Beast, Nibs in Peter Pan, Gavroche in Les Misérables and as one of the children in The King and I on tour. Being offered the opportunity to make my West End debut in the role of Michael is so exciting.”

Bradley Perret and Freddie Butterfield join a cast led by Anna-Jane Casey who plays Billy’s dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson, Deka Walmsley who plays Billy’s Dad and Kevin Wathen as Billy’s brother Tony, with Howard Crossley as George, Alexander Loxton as Older Billy, Kay Milbourne as Dead Mum, Simon Ray Harvey as Mr. Braithwaite, and Ann Emery who created the role of Grandma on stage when the show premiered in 2005.

Now in its ninth year at the Victoria Palace Theatre, internationally award-winning Billy Elliot the Musical which has now been seen by nearly 9.5 million people worldwide, is currently booking until May 2015. Based on the Oscar nominated film, Billy Elliot the Musical is described as an "inspirational story of one boy’s dream to realise 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 is currently booking at the Victoria Palace Theatre until May 2015.
Click here to book tickets (save £24 at certain performances).

Photo Credit: Alastair Muir

Follow @West_End_Frame