MORE than a decade after the film was shot on the streets of the North-East, the story of Billy Elliot is finally coming home.

The award-winning Billy Elliot The Musical is touring the UK for the first time after ten years in the West End and opens at Sunderland Empire tomorrow (Wednesday, April 6) for a four-week run.

Set during the miners’ strike, the original film about a boy who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer was shot in Easington and became a massive hit, inspiring a stage version of the show with music from Sir Elton John.

Four boys will share the lead role during its tour: 12-year-olds Adam Abbou from Liverpool and Lewis Smallman from West Bromwich, alongside Matthew Lyons from Leeds and Haydn May, from Bath, both aged 11.

However, several North-East actors will join the cast, including nine-year-old Elliot Stiff, from Sunderland, who will perform as Billy’s best friend Michael, while the role of Debbie is taken by ten-year-olds Lily Cadwallender, from Hartlepool, Evie Martin, from Middlesbrough and Italia Ross, also from Hartlepool.

Martin Walsh, who plays Billy’s dad in the show, said: “We feel like we’re bringing Billy home, or as close to home as he’s ever going to get. We can’t wait for the audience reaction to the show, to feel their passion and buzz”.

Tickets, priced from £17.50 to £65, plus booking fees, are available from the Empire Box Office in High Street West, Sunderland, on www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland or from the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022.

Billy Elliot The Musical runs at Sunderland Empire until April 30.