About the work
Billy Elliot is a musical with music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall, premiered in 2005 in London's West End. Based on the 2000 film of the same name, it won ten Tony Awards on Broadway, including Best Musical.
Plot
In a northern English mining town during the great strike of 1984–85, the eleven-year-old Billy Elliot, son of a miner, discovers his passion for ballet instead of the expected boxing lessons. Against the resistance of his widowed father and brother, locked in the bitter labour dispute, and encouraged by the resolute dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy fights for his dream. Eventually the father recognises his son's talent and enables him to attend the prestigious Royal Ballet School.
Cultural significance
Billy Elliot combines a moving coming-of-age story with the political backdrop of the British miners' strike and the Thatcher era. Elton John's score and Lee Hall's lyrics—such as the angry-tender Solidarity and Electricity—give the work emotional force. The lead role, which makes the highest demands on dancing and acting and is played by rotating child performers, made the musical one of the most acclaimed works of the 2000s.