Casting announced for Billy Elliot UK and Ireland tour

Casting has been announced the UK and Ireland tour of Billy Elliot – The Musical, which kicks off at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in February.

Playing the role of Mrs Wilkinson will be Annette McLaughlin. McLaughlin's theatre credits include Mrs Wormwood in Matilda, Measure for Measure and The Odyssey. She will be joined by Martin Walsh (Game of Thrones, Les Misérables) as Dad, Andrea Miller (Sister Act, Annie) as Grandma and Scott Garnham (Grand Hotel) as Tony.

The cast also includes Phillip Aiden, Jonathan Alden, Leo Atkin, Tom Bainbridge, Deborah Bundy, Jack Butterworth, Luke Cinque-White, Donna Combe, Wayne Fitzsimmons, Nikki Gerrard, Abbie Louise Harris, Paul Hutton, Leon Kay, Charlie Martin, Kris Manuel, Barnaby Meredith, Daniel Page, Georgina Parkinson, Amy Rhiannon-Worth, Rachel Spurrell, Sebastian Sykes, Rafe Watts and Luke Zammit.

The children of the first UK and Ireland tour will be announced in early 2016.

The show, adapted by the same creative team behind the hit 2000 film, is set in a northern mining town against the background of the 1984/'85 miners' strike and is the story of a young boy's struggle against the odds to make his dreams to become a ballet dancer come true.

Billy Elliot is currently running in the West End and will play its final performance at the Victoria Palace Theatre on 9 April 2016 after eleven years. The show has been seen by nearly 11 million people across five continents and is the recipient of over 80 awards internationally.

Billy Elliot – The Musical will open at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth on 24 February 2016. Click here for further tour dates.