Peter Darling News

Today, 14 July 2014, twelve year old Ollie Jochim from Chelmsford, Essex gives his first performance in the title role of the internationally award winning Billy Elliot the Musical. Ollie joins a cast lead by Ruthie Henshall who plays Mrs Wilkinson, Billy's dance teacher, and becomes the thirty-eighth boy to perform the iconic role at the Victoria Palace Theatre and the seventy-fifth boy to perform the role world-wide.

Electricity courses through Ogunquit Playhouse's stunning production of BILLY ELLIOT, continuing through July 26 at 'America's foremost summer theatre.'

Assembling a stellar cast and creative team, the Ogunquit Playhouse has mounted a powerful production of the Elton John-Lee Hall 2005 musical, Billy Elliot. Based on the 2000 film, both directed by Stephen Daldry with original choreography by Peter Darling, Billy Elliot movingly tells the story of a Yorkshire working class boy who discovers his unlikely passion and talent for ballet and who must win his coal miner father's acceptance for his chosen vocation. Set against the background of the bitter 1984 mining strike which pitted the workers' life and death struggle against Margaret Thatcher's push to close the mines, Billy's discovery of his artistic gift becomes his ticket not only to self-fulfillment, but also to escape from his family's bleak existence.

Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes, last night marked the first anniversary of its opening at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane with a gala performance and party for cast, crew and special guests. Check out a first look at cast members on the red carpet below!

Another St. Louis tradition continues this summer with the start of the MUNY's 96th season. The opening show is BILLY ELLIOT the Musical, and there are some absolutely electric moments to be found here. Adapted from the excellent film of the same name, the story follows a young boy who would rather dance in the ballet than take boxing lessons, drawing the ire of a strict father who's coping with the loss of his wife, and the possible loss of his livelihood due to the current politics of the time. The story is set in the early 1980's during the time that union-busting Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in power, and personally orchestrating the swift decline of a once thriving British coal industry. Despite this rather dire backdrop, this is an inspirational show that's well worth seeing under the stars in Forest Park.

On Sunday 28 September 2014, Billy Elliot the Musical is set to bring cinema goers to their feet when the global stage phenomenon is broadcast live from the West End to cinemas across the UK and around the world. Check out a first look at the trailer below!

On Sunday 28 September 2014, Billy Elliot the Musical is set to bring cinema goers to their feet when the global stage phenomenon is broadcast live from the West End to cinemas across the UK and around the world.

The cast and creative team of the hit Off-Broadway musical Murder for Two are teaming up with some of New York's brightest up and coming composers and BroadwayWorld.com every Monday night for their spring concert series, Murderous Musical Mondays. Composer Adam Gwon continues the series on Monday, June 16, 2014, immediately following the 7pm performance of Murder for Two at New World Stages (Stage 5 - 340 West 50th Street).

Today we continue the 2014 edition of our annual BroadwayWorld feature series spotlighting the very best Tony Awards-related moments of all time with a special focus on one of the most recent big battles for Best Musical with BILLY ELLIOT versus NEXT TO NORMAL.

The cast of Matilda the Musical appeared on the Paul O'Grady show yesterday, May 22, with Alex Gaumond as Miss Trunchbull punishing the host for taking something that didn't belong to him. Watch the hilarious clip below!

Following the announcement that Cameron Mackintosh will be taking over the Victoria Palace Theatre this June and is planning improvements beginning in 2016, Billy Elliot THE MUSICAL, which currently runs at the theater, has released the following statement...

From the controversial and crass to the inspiring and romantic, the past decade's Tony winners for Best Musical delighted us then and continue to captivate us as they play in productions across the country and around the world. And what better way to refresh and prep for this year's big award than to relive the stand-outs from the last 10 years on Broadway? Scroll down to learn more about the winners since 2004, and be sure to tell us which musical gets your pick for 2014!

Today, 12 May 2014, nine years to the day since Billy Elliot the Musical officially opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre, eleven year old Matteo Zecca (Billy) and ten year old Kyria Cooper (Debbie) will have their first performance alongside new cast members Ruthie Henshall as Billy's dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson, Chris Grahamson who plays Billy's brother Tony and Barnaby Meredith who returns to the production to play Older Billy.

Watch the four girls who share the title role in Broadway's Matilda the Musical take EW.COM's Pop Culture Personality Quiz and find out which one of them is allowed to watch Grimm, who's keeping your love of Saved by the Bell and Full House alive, and who can tell you all about Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge and Face Off. Paige Brady, Gabriella Pizzolo, Ripley Sobo and Ava Ulloa show us their jazz hands here.

See the four girls sharing the title role in Broadway's MATILDA THE MUSICAL get crafty with Easter eggs on People.com. Click below ot see Ava Ulloa, Gabriella Pizzolo, Paige Brady and Ripley Sobo have fun with a damaged book, sparkles and paste!

According to the Daily Mail, Geoffrey Rush will once again bridge the stage-screen gap by playing OLIVER! composer Lionel Bart in an upcoming biopic, directed by Vadim Jean. Filming is set to begin this fall.

The Olivier Awards 2014 are presented this evening - keep an eye on this page, updating live, for the results. Established in 1976, the Laurence Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of London's theatre and are Britain's most prestigious stage honours.

Lesli Margherita, who stars in Broadway's MATILDA THE MUSICAL as Mrs. Wormwood, was interviewed recently on WAMC Radio's program 'The Roundtable.' Listen to her conversation with host Sarah LaDuke about her social media following, Mrs. Wormwood's similarities to Miss Piggy, and the beauty of performing with four different Matildas each week.

Barry James, Josefina Gabrielle, Richard Dempsey and Kirsty Malpass will join the previously announced Alex Jennings (Willy Wonka) in the cast of the record-breaking West End production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.