Last chance to catch Billy in the Bord Gais

THIS is your last chance to catch the stage hit ‘Billy Elliot the Musical’ in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.

With the show closing on September 3 there are just a few days left to see what  Time Magazine has described as ‘The Best Musical of the Decade’.

Four Billy Elliots took over Dublin’s Grafton Street ahead of the show’s opening to recreate some of their iconic dance moves from the phenomenal production.

The boys, Adam Abbou, Matthew Lyons, Haydn May and Lewis Smallman made their denim-clad mark on the capital as they prepared for the six- week run of the much anticipated theatrical event of the summer.

Based on the much loved motion picture, Billy Elliot the Musical opened in the West End in 1995 and has now been seen by over 11 million people worldwide and has played on five continents collecting 80 international awards along the way including 10 Tony Awards.

So far, the musical has taken $600 million at the box office and brings the creative team of Elton John and Lee Hall and Stephen Daldry together to create the musical.

Over the six week run in Dublin it’s envisaged that over 80,000 people will have visited the theatre with an anticipated 30 per cent of those coming from overseas as tourists visiting the capital city, inevitably bringing a welcome boost to restaurants and hotels in the local area.

This inspirational musical follows Billy in his triumph over adversity. Set in 1980’s Northern England, the story reflects the social unrest of the time and the political class war between the ruling class Tory government led by Margaret Thatcher and the working class coal miners who had made Britain great since the dawning of the industrial revolution.

This story of struggling against the odds is very much a story which still resonates today.

Ultimately, it’s Billy’s fight to turn his dream into a reality, which touches the heart and soul of theatre goers.

Musical superstar Sir Elton John – who wrote the music for the show – admits that he burst into tears the first time he saw the movie and knew that he had to make it into a musical.