Four Young Actors Cast as Billy in West End Return of Billy Elliot The Musical

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Billy Elliot the Musical will open at Sunderland Empire on 4 November 2026 where it will run until 28 November 2026.

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The four boys who will play the title role in the national tour and limited West End season of the original award-winning production of Billy Elliot the Musical are Noah Mannion (12 years old from Stockport), Rafferty Smale (12 years old from Leigh-on-Sea), Spencer Collins (13 years old from California) and William Gurney (12 years old from Berkshire).

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It was also announced today that original Billy Elliot , Liam Mower , will return to the show to play 'Older Billy'. Liam was one of three boys who created the role when the musical first opened in 2005, winning an Olivier Award for his performance.

Billy Elliot the Musical will open at Sunderland Empire on 4 November 2026 where it will run until 28 November 2026. It will then visit Palace Theatre Manchester (2 December 2026 – 9 January 2027) and Edinburgh Playhouse (19 January – 6 February 2027) ahead of its first return to the West End in over 10 years, playing a limited West End season at the Adelphi Theatre from 12 February – 31 July 2027.

(12 years old) has loved singing and dancing from an early age, whether performing for fun or entertaining family at home. After trying a variety of activities, including gymnastics and tennis, he began his dance journey at a local dance school. Soon after the school held open auditions for its competition team, Noah decided to give it a go. Despite arriving in his bare feet with no expectations, his natural talent, Stage Presence and flair were quickly recognised, earning him a place on the team. At just nine years old, Noah began training in ballet, tap, modern, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, acro and singing. He has since enjoyed great success at regional competitions in both solo and group performances. In 2025, after only two years of competitive dancing, Noah proudly represented England at both the Dance World Cup and the Global Dance Open, where he won multiple medals and earned the title of Global World Champion. Noah's favourite singers are Sienna Spiro, Olivia Dean and Bruno Mars . He is very creative and good at drawing. In his spare time he loves to take the family's pet dog Rafa on walks in the countryside.

(12 years old) started ballet lessons aged 4 and joined Junior Masters Performing Arts learning tap and modern too. He joined Tring Park Performing Arts Classical Ballet Academy programme in 2021 and became a Royal Ballet Junior Associate in 2022. Rafferty has performed in Royal Ballet's productions of Cinderella, Don Quixote and The Winter's Tale as Mamillius. Rafferty became a full-time student at Royal Ballet's White Lodge in September 2025. He was cast as the first Year 7 Fritz in The Nutcracker in 2025, followed by Wayne McGregor 's Woolf Works in 2026. Rafferty won gold for his ballet solo at the Dance World Cup 2023, aged 9. He won silver at the Dance World Cup 2024 in the age 10-15 category aged 10. Rafferty is a huge fan of Bruno Mars and Harry Styles . He loves going to concerts and to the theatre to watch ballets and musicals. He loves theme parks and rollercoasters, fashion and singing in the shower. His hobbies are dancing, dancing and more dancing!

(13 years old) started dancing at the Los Angeles Ballet School at age 5. He joined Westside School of Ballet at age 9 and has trained there since under the guidance of Adrian Blake Mitchell. Spencer has competed on the YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) circuit, notably winning the prestigious Hope Award at YAGP Finals in 2025, recognising the top classical and contemporary performances among all dancers worldwide in his age category. Spencer is an International Scholar of The Royal Ballet School and has received scholarships and trained with renowned dance academies around the world, including the Princess Grace Academy of Dance in Monaco, the John Cranko School, Joffrey Ballet, Elite Classical Coaching, The Royal Ballet School and Ellison Ballet School. He hopes to one day become a principal dancer with a premier ballet company. In addition to all things dance, Spencer loves sushi, iced matcha lattes, listening to Sienna Spiro and his rescue pup Betty.

(12 years old) is a student at Sylvia Young Theatre School. He has appeared in The Nutcracker (Royal Ballet) and more recently has played Tommy in Matilda the Musical. William has appeared in various television programmes including Strike, Call the Midwife, Midsummer Murders, Breeders, Motherland and Silent Witness. In 2024 William appeared in Sophie Ellis Bextor 's music video Freedom Of The Night. William has competed in the Dance World Cup in Portugal and Czechia and was an All England Dance Finalist. William enjoys musical theatre at SSG Academy. He loves to teach himself routines from some of his favourite choreographers and choreographing routines for his friends is a favourite! When he is not dancing, he is chatting, laughing and playing games.

created the role of Billy Elliot when the musical first opened in 2005, winning an Olivier Award for his performance. Since 2011 he has been dancing with Matthew Bourne 's company, New Adventures. Roles and productions with New Adventures include Nutcracker! (2011–12), Play Without Words (2012), Count Lilac, Carabosse/Caradoc in Sleeping Beauty (2012–13, 2015-16 and 2022-23, The Prince in Swan Lake (2013–14 and 2018-19), Edward in Edward Scissorhands (2014–15 and 2023-24), Angelo in The Car Man (2015), Ivan and Grischa in The Red Shoes (2016–17 and 2019-20), Angel in Cinderella (2017–18) and Albert in The Midnight Bell (2021 and 2025). He recently performed the role of Mr Mistoffelees in the international tour of the musical Cats (2023/24 and 2024/5). He was also nominated for a Critics' Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Male Dancer (Modern). Other career highlights include Elton John 's music video Electricity (2004), Electricity at Vogue's The Met Ball (2005), Mikey Adams in Wire in the Blood (ITV), A Linha Curva by Itzik Galili for Rambert Dance Company, Older Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical (Cinemas Worldwide), Disenchanted (Disney, 2022), The Greatest Days (2023) Matthew Bourne 's Christmas (More4/Leopard Films), Sleeping Beauty (BBC2), Cinderella (BBC), Swan Lake ( Sky Arts ), The Red Shoes (BBC2 and Sky Arts ), Spitfire (BBC iPlayer).

Based on the highly successful multi BAFTA award-winning and Academy Award nominated film, the show is set in a northern mining town against the background of the 1984/'85 miners' strike and follows Billy's journey from the boxing ring to the ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever.

Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, Billy Elliot the Musical has been seen by just over 12 million people across five continents and is the recipient of over 80 awards internationally, including ten Tony Awards and five Olivier Awards. In 2006, Liam Mower , James Lomas and George Maguire , the first three boys to play the title role, became the youngest performers ever to have won the Olivier Award for Best Actor with the show also picking up the Best Musical prize. In total, over 125 boys have now played the iconic title role on stage worldwide.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/BILLY-ELLIOT-THE-MUSICAL-Reveals-Four-Boys-to-Play-Title-Role-in-West-End-Return-20260624)._