SET in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/85 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot’s journey takes him out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever.

Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, Billy Elliot the Musical has now been seen by nearly 11-million people across five continents and is the recipient of over 80 awards internationally, including ten Tony Awards and five Olivier Awards. In 2006, Liam Mower, James Lomas and George Maguire, the first three boys to play the title role, became the youngest performers ever to have won the Olivier Award for Best Actor with the show also picking up the Best Musical prize.

In total, worldwide, 90 boys have now played the iconic role of Billy Elliot on stage. In May last year, Billy Elliot the Musical celebrated its 10th birthday at the West End’s Victoria Palace Theatre where it will play its final performance on April 9, 2016 after 4,600 performances when the theatre closes for refurbishment.

For the show coming to Plymouth the four boys who will play the title role in the first ever UK and Ireland tour are Adam Abbou, 12 from Liverpool, who has appeared in South Pacific and Peter Pan at the Liverpool Empire, Matthew Lyons, 11 from Leeds, who appeared in Matthew Bourne’s Lord of the Flies, Haydn May, 11 from Bath, who had roles in Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan at the Theatre Royal Bath and Lewis Smallman, 12 from West Bromwich, who appeared in the English Youth Ballet’s Swan Lake.

The boys were cast following nationwide auditions and after months of intensive rehearsals will alternate the role.

Billy Elliot the Musical is brought to life by the multiple award-winning creative team behind the film, including writer Lee Hall (book and lyrics), director Stephen Daldry and choreographer, Peter Darling, joined by Elton John who composed the show’s score. The production features scenic design by Ian MacNeil, the associate director is Julian Webber, costume design is by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.

Productions of Billy Elliot the Musical have previously been staged on Broadway, in Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago, Toronto and Seoul, South Korea. The highly successful North American touring production, which began in 2010, finished its spectacular run in August 2013 with an engagement in São Paulo, Brazil, the first time Billy Elliot played in South America. The first Japanese language production will open at the Akasaka ACT Theater in Tokyo in 2017 and further international productions are currently planned.

Billy Elliot the Musical is presented by Universal Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions and is based on the Universal Pictures/Studio Canal film. The show is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene. Angela Morrison and David Furnish are executive producers.

The show started at The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth this week and runs until April 2.

Tickets are priced between £25 - £59.50 and can be booked online at www.theatreroyal.com or by calling the Theatre Royal Plymouth Box Office on 01752 267222.