It has been announced that Oliver award-winning actor Ruthie Henshall will join the cast of Billy Elliot to play dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson. Henshall’s first performance will be on 12 May 2014, nine years to the day since Billy Elliot the Musical officially opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre.
Henshall has performed many iconic roles in musicals, both in the West End and on Broadway including; Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart in Chicago, Marion Halcome in The Woman in White, Fantine in Les Misérables, Nancy in Oliver, Polly Baker in Crazy For You, Jemima in Cats and Ellen in Miss Saigon as well as Amalia in She Loves Me for which she won the Best Actress in a Musical Olivier Award. Her television credits include The Case, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sound of Musicals, Law and Order, The Mysteries of 71st Street and as a judge on ITV’s Dancing on Ice. Ruthie Henshall was last seen on stage in Thea Sharrock’s production of Blithe Spirit at the Apollo Theatre in the West End.
Billy Elliot the musical has now been seen by over seen by over 9.5 million people worldwide and features music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and is directed by Stephen Daldry.
Also joining the cast along with Henshall is Chris Grahamson who will play Billy’s brother Tony and Barnaby Meredith who is returning to play Older Billy.
The inspirational story of one boys dream to become a ballet dancer in the North East of England during the miners’ strikes of the 1980s is currently booking at the Victoria Palace Theatre until 16 May 2015.
Robert Webb and Mark Heap have been announced as the new pair to take over the reins from Stephen Mangan and Matthew Mcfadyen in Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 7 April 2014.