Elton John celebrates Billy Elliot's 10th anniversary

A gala was held last night to mark the 10th anniversary of Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre, with Elton John and partner David Furnish leading the celebrations.

Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry said: "From the start, Billy Elliot has given me enormous professional fulfilment as well as huge pride and the show will always have a very special place in my heart."

The show's composer Elton John added: "When I saw the show for the first time back in 2005 I was completely bowled over and ten years and forty London Billy Elliots later, I couldn't be more proud of this extraordinary show."

Talking to WhatsOnStage, the show's writer Lee Hall said: "I loved writing the songs with Elton. I remember being woken up in the middle of the night by Elton ringing from Atlanta when he'd written the first song. He played it down the phone which seemed pretty surreal at the time, but I quickly got used to it."

Yesterday, producers announced the show's first UK tour starting at Theatre Royal Plymouth next February as well as an extended booking period at the Victoria Palace Theatre until 17 December 2016. Further dates and full booking information will be announced soon.

Set in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/'85 miners' strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy's struggle against the odds to make his dreams to become a ballet dancer come true.