Curve's Billy Elliot wins Best Musical Production at the UK Theatre Awards

Leicester’s Curve theatre has been recognised for its acclaimed production of Billy Elliot the Musical.

The Made at Curve production was named Best Musical Production by UK Theatre at an awards ceremony held on Sunday 23 October at London’s Guildhall.

Appearing on Curve’s stage this summer, the first new UK production of the musical was directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster and was seen by almost 40,000 audience members.

Hailed as a five star “flat-out masterpiece” by The Times, Billy Elliot the Musical was choreographed by Lucy Hind, with musical direction and musical supervision from George Dyer. The role of Billy Elliot, the miner’s son with a passion for ballet, was shared by young performers Leo Hollingsworth, Alfie Napolitano, Samuel Newby and Jaden Shentall-Lee.

Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:

“Billy was our most ambitious production to date and we’re thrilled and honoured to receive this recognition at the prestigious UK Theatre Awards.

“One of the greatest joys of this production was working with our young company members. Mostly drawn from across our local communities, watching them learn new skills, grow in confidence and take ownership of this story was incredibly rewarding and – in ways which mirror the story of Billy Elliot – cements the importance of engagement with the arts for everyone.

“A huge thanks to our sensational company, the exceptional team at Curve, our fantastic audiences, the team at Working Title Films who trusted us with this story, as well as Arts Council England and Leicester City Council for their ongoing support.”

This award comes as the theatre prepares to open its Made at Curve Christmas musical, The Wizard of Oz. Also directed by Foster, the spectacular production will run at Curve Saturday 19 November to Sunday 8 January and features new music and lyrics from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, as well as classic songs from the iconic MGM film.

To find out more about Curve and The Wizard of Oz, visit www.curveonline.co.uk.