See more
Is Billy Elliot set in Newcastle?
Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy who discovers a passion for ballet.
What town is Billy Elliot set?
Billy Elliot | 2000 The fictitious town of 'Everington' is the village of Easington Colliery, alongside Easington itself (mirroring the events of the film, the actual colliery closed in 1993, bringing major unemployment to the area). Billy's house, the fictitious '5 Alnwick Street', was 5 Andrew Street.
Is Billy Elliot Based on a true story?
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, and Jamie Bell, who played Billy, was widely praised for his performance. The character of Billy was actually inspired by a real man who faced similar struggles in his pursuit of becoming an opera singer in the 60s.
Is Tom Holland in Billy Elliot?
After eight auditions and subsequent two years of training, on 28 June 2008 Tom made his West End debut in Billy Elliot the Musical as Michael, Billy's best friend. He gave his first performance in the title role of Billy on 8 September 2008 getting rave reviews praising his versatile acting and dancing skills.
Who is the real life Billy Elliot?
Brilliant Norman Dixon left his humble hometown as a wide-eyed teenager to find his fame and fortune. The real-life Billy Elliot ended up carving out a fantastic career spanning the second half of the 20th century in the great passion of his life – dancing.
Why do they call Jamie Elliot Billy?
Jamie Elliott is called Billy Elliott after the film about the kid from the north of England who discovers ballet on his way to a boxing class. Few nicknames casually conceived could fit as well.
How Old Is Billy Elliot now?
Billy Fane Now 76, appeared in countless pantomimes across the region as well as in Heartbeat. As well as Billy Elliot, Billy also had a role in another North East based film, Purely Belter.
Why is Billy Elliot Rated R?
Parents need to know that the uplifting dramedy Billy Elliot is rated R primarily for language (an edited version was released on DVD with a PG-13 rating, but it's no longer easy to find for rental or sale) -- everyone in the movie uses extremely strong language all the time.
Where did Tom Holland play Billy Elliot?
During a performance one Easter, a 10-year-old Holland was spotted by a member of the Royal Ballet school and asked to audition for Billy Elliot the Musical, then on at London's Victoria Palace theatre.
Where did Billy Elliot live?
In 1984, while the miners' strike rages, Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) is a young boy living in a small County Durham town, who discovers he has a talent for ballet, much to the chagrin of his widowed father Jackie (Gary Lewis), leaving him torn between his dreams and the only life he's ever known.
Why do they call Jamie Elliot Billy?
Jamie Elliott is called Billy Elliott after the film about the kid from the north of England who discovers ballet on his way to a boxing class. Few nicknames casually conceived could fit as well.
Was Billy Elliot filmed in Seaham?
Billy Elliot was shot in Seaham, County Durham, England, UK. Filming locations included Royal Opera House, Tees Transporter Bridge, Northfield School & Sports College, Royal Ballet School, and Theatre Royal Haymarket. Filming also took place at Shepperton Studios.
Where was Billy Elliot filmed?
Stephen Daldry ’s surprise smash, which has since found fame as a stage musical, was filmed mainly in County Durham in the north of England. Billy Elliot location: Mrs Wilkinson drops Billy off after the dance lesson: Angus Street, Easington Colliery, County Durham.
Where is Billy's house in the movie?
Billy’s house, the fictitious ‘5 Alnwick Street’, was 5 Andrew Street. The street has been demolished, replaced by a carpet of featureless green, though you’ll still recognize the wall on Ashton Street, at the bottom of Billy’s street with it’s faded bingo sign and, nearby, the spot where Mrs Wilkinson ( Julie Walters) drops Billy ( Jamie Bell) off at the top of Angus Street after his dance lesson.
Where is Billy's dad in Swan Lake?
Billy’s proud dad and brother go to see the grown-up Billy (in the person of dancer Adam Cooper) in Matthew Bourne ’s radical male Swan Lake, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, London SW1.
Who played Billy's brother in the movie?
In the heat of the miners’ dispute, Billy’s brother Tony ( Jamie Draven) is arrested after a frantic chase by the police on Anthony Street.
What was Charlie Chaplin's reception block?
This incongruous Gothic block, looming over modern suburban houses, was once the reception block for the Victorian poor school where young Charlie Chaplin became a resident after his mother’s breakdown . In more recent times, rock band Deep Purple came together in its rehearsal space.
When did Billy Elliot premiere?
Billy Elliot premiered on 19 May at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival under the title Dancer. It was later decided to re-title the film Billy Elliot to avoid confusion with Dancer in the Dark, another film at Cannes that year.
What is Billy Elliot about?
Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–85 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy who discovers his passion for ballet, despite his father's objection and the negative stereotype associated ...
How much did Billy Elliot make?
Billy Elliot received positive critical response and commercial success, earning $109.3 million worldwide on a $5 million budget. At the 2001 British Academy Film Awards, the film won three of thirteen award nominations. Jamie Bell became the youngest winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
How old was Billy Elliot when he started dancing?
In 1984, Billy Elliot, an 11-year-old from the fictional Everington in County Durham, England, loves to dance and has hopes of becoming a professional ballet dancer.
When was Billy Elliot the Musical first released?
In 2001, the film was adapted as a novel by Melvin Burgess. The story was also adapted for the West End stage as Billy Elliot the Musical, first produced in 2005. It opened in Australia in 2007 and on Broadway in New York City in 2008.
How old was Billy when he performed Swan Lake?
In 1998, 25-year-old Billy takes the stage to perform as the Swan in Matthew Bourne 's Swan Lake, as Jackie, Tony, and Michael watch from the audience. Billy's father is visibly moved by his performance.
How old is Billy from the movie?
The film stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, Gary Lewis as his father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older brother, and Julie Walters as his ballet teacher. Adapted from a play called Dancer by Lee Hall, development on the film began in 1999.
What town was Billy Elliot filmed in?
Easington Colliery , the town that stood in for Everington during the filming of Billy Elliot, was a former coal-mining town with close connections between its inhabitants. In order to reflect this tight-knit community, cinematographer Brian Tufano had the scenes in the mining village feel as claustrophobic as possible.
How old was Billy Elliot in the movie?
9 Jamie Bell’s Puberty. Billy Elliot is an 11-year-old boy and, as such, the actor portraying Billy had to be suitably aged for the role. As a result, aged 12 at the time, Jamie Bell was cast in the role of Billy Elliot. However, Jamie Bell’s age, while making him ideal for the role, also meant he was in the throes of puberty at the time.
Why does Tufano open up the scenes in which Billy dances?
However, Tufano would open up the scenes in which Billy dances to highlight how Billy feels free when he dances, allowing him to escape the social pressure of his community.
What are some interesting facts about Billy Elliot?
10 Behind The Scenes Facts About Billy Elliot. Billy Elliot is one of the most inspiring movies to come out of the U.K. and is still popular today. Here are some lesser-known facts about the film. Billy Elliot is one of the most critically acclaimed and culturally significant British movies of the past several decades.
What is the movie "Billy" about?
The film follows Billy as he learns to gain the support of his family and friends, despite the art of men's ballet being frowned upon by his working-class community. The film famously concludes with a time jump, showing Billy dancing in Swan Lake for his father and brother.
Where did Jamie Bell live?
Additionally, Jamie Bell also comes from the North East of England. The actor lived in nearby Billingham prior to starring in Billy Elliot.
Who studied ballet in 10?
10 Jamie Bell Studied Ballet. The film followed the titular Billy Elliot as he found a love of ballet, showing the boy as he managed to both learn about the art form and also learn how to convince those close to him that ballet is a worthy pursuit. What is interesting is that Jamie Bell, the actor who portrays Billy Elliot, ...
Overview
Production
Lee Hall developed Billy Elliot from his play Dancer, which premiered as a rehearsed reading in 1998 at the Live Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne. He was heavily influenced by photographer Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen's book Step by Step, about a dancing school in nearby North Shields. Writing in 2009, Hall said that "almost every frame of Billy Elliot was influenced by Step by Step [...] as every …
Plot
In 1984, Billy Elliot, an 11-year-old from the fictional Everington in County Durham, England, loves to dance and has hopes of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Billy lives with his widowed father, Jackie, and older brother, Tony, both coal miners out on strike (the latter being the union delegate). His maternal grandmother lives with them; she has Alzheimer's disease and had once aspire…
Cast
• Jamie Bell as Billy Elliot
• Julie Walters as Sandra Wilkinson
• Gary Lewis as Jackie Elliot
• Jamie Draven as Tony Elliot
Reception
Billy Elliot premiered on 19 May at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival under the title Dancer. It was later decided to re-title the film Billy Elliot to avoid confusion with Dancer in the Dark, another film at Cannes that year. Billy Elliot was theatrically released on 29 September 2000 in the United Kingdom by Universal Pictures and Focus Features. In the United States, the film was released on 13 Octobe…
Stage musical
After the film's release, English singer-songwriter Elton John collaborated with the film's screenwriter Lee Hall to produce a musical adaptation of the film, which premiered 31 March 2005 at the Victoria Palace Theatre on the West End. Many of the film's crew took part in the stage production, including director Stephen Daldry and choreographer Peter Darling. The musical received positive reviews and ran for over 4,000 performances before closing in April 2016.
See also
• Brassed Off
• The Stars Look Down
• Yeh Ballet
• Hula Girls
• The Full Monty
Further reading
• Jacqueline Jones, "Small Towns and Big Dreams: Meditations on Two Mining-Town Movies" Perspectives on History (Feb 2011) 49#2 pp 30–31, compares film with "How Green Was My Valley".