Genevieve Lemon Dances into London's Billy Elliot

Genevieve Lemon is stepping into the role of Mrs. Wilkinson, the hard-scrabble dance teacher in the West End’s Billy Elliot. Lemon joins the cast at the Victoria Palace Theatre on May 31, 2010. Twelve-year-old Aaron Watson, a Norfolk native, will also join the company in the title role, becoming the 23rd boy to join the show’s rotating cast of Billys.

A veteran of Billy Elliot’s Australian cast, Lemon’s numerous Australian stage credits include Summer Rain, Victory, The Republic of Myopia, Harbour, Hanging Man, Morning Sacrifice, The Olympic Revue, The Recruit, Merrily We Role Along, Miracle City, The Girl Who Saw Everything, Once In A Life Time, The Seagull and The Madras House. Her additional credits include Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical at the Regent Theatre, Broken Glass for the Ensemble Theatre, Piaf and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll for the Melbourne Theatre Company. Her film credits include Charlotte’s Web, Holy Smoke and The Piano.

Newcomer Watson has been studying gymnastics and dance since he was five years old. He trained at Footlights Dance Centre, focusing on ballet, tap, modern and contemporary.

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.