Deka Walmsley and Gillian Bevan Join Billy Elliot in London

Gillian Bevan and Deka Walmsley will join the West End production of Billy Elliot on November 14, as Mrs Wilkinson. and Dad, respectively. Ann Emery, who originated the role of Grandma in 2005 and played the part until 2010, will also return to the company. They will be joined by new principal cast members Michael Peavoy (Tony), Sean Kearns (George) and Simon Ray Harvey (Mr. Braithwaite) in the Elton John-Lee Hall musical, currently running at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

Bevan's London stage credits include Road Show, Relatively Speaking, Billy Liar at Grand Hotel, In the Midnight Hour, The Boys From Syracuse and Follies. Walmsley has appeared in The Pitmen Painters in Newcastle, at the National Theatre, on the U.K. tour and on Broadway. His other theater credits include Cyrano De Bergerac, Enemies and Playing with Fire.

They join a company that features Ryan Collinson, Josh Baker and Adam Vesperman alternating the role of Billy; Reece Barrett, Connor Kelly, Connor Lawson and Joe Massey who alternate the role of Billy’s best friend Michael; and Francesca Mango and Emily Williams will alternate the role of Debbie. They perform alongside Kay Milbourne (Dead Mum), Barnaby Meredith (Older Billy) and ensemble members Craig Armstrong, David Bardsley, Romy Baskerville, Paul Basleigh, James Butcher, Spencer Cartwright, Jaymz Denning, Caroline Deverill, Helen French, Sergio Giacomelli, Kieran Jae, Connor McAllister, Steve Paget, Ryan Pidgen and Dan Reilly.

Based on the Oscar-nominated film, Billy Elliot is an inspirational story of one boy’s dream to realize his ambitions against the odds. Set in the North East of England against the background of the historic 1984 miners strike, Billy pursues his passion for dance in secret to avoid disapproval of his struggling family.