Lee Hall
Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.
Billy Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot. The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film's screenplay. In June 2014, it was announced that the musical would be screened and broadcast live to cinemas around the UK and the world. On 28 September, the matinee of the musical was broadcast as it was being filmed at the Victoria Palace Theatre to cinemas around the UK and other countries with further encore screenings of that same performance on other dates. Billy was played by Elliott Hanna. Liam Mower, one of the three actors who originated the title role, returned to play the role of Older Billy. In addition, 25 past and present actors to have played the title role on the West End performed a specially-choreographed dance number at the finale. The live broadcast topped the UK and Ireland box office the weekend it was broadcast, a first for an event cinema release, beating The Equalizer with £1.9m.
Matt Lucas as a marvellous Toad, Mark Gatiss as a spiky rat, Lee Ingleby as a nervous Mole, and Bob Hoskins as a grumpy old Badger make a classy cast within yet another version of Kenneth Grahame's classic book.
Set against the background of the 1984 Miners' Strike, 11-year-old Billy Elliot stumbles out of the boxing ring and onto the ballet floor. He faces many trials and triumphs as he strives to conquer his family's set ways, inner conflict, and standing on his toes.
The Queen's youngest son is off to university, mainly because "I'm hopeless at anything else". Barry, his new bodyguard, has no time for the royal family and left school at fifteen. He certainly didn't volunteer for this job, and is damned if he's going to enjoy it. Yet he can't help liking the hopelessly unworldly young prince, at least, until they both set their eyes on the new American student!
Television film version of Lee Hall's award-winning radio play. Spoonface is seven years old, Jewish, autistic - and terminally ill with cancer. As she tries to come to terms with the meaning of life and death, she draws inspiration from the prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps who died with dignity and their spirit unbowed.
