Billy Elliot

A tool for using the theater across the curriculum

to meet National Standards for Education
Production Overview
Lesson Guides
Student Activities
At-Home Projects
Reproducibles

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

All show artwork, show photography, behind the scenes photography and publicity
photography together with the reproduced lyrics from Billy Elliot remain the copyright of
Billy Broadway LLC. All rights reserved. 2008 Billy Broadway LLC. No copyright material in
this publication belonging to Billy Broadway LLC may be reproduced, stored or transmitted,
in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of Billy Broadway LLC.
Copyright 2008, Camp Broadway. LLC, All rights reserved.
This publication is based on Billy Elliot the Musical with book and lyrics by Lee Hall and music
by Elton John. The content of Billy Elliot the Musical edition of StageNOTES: A Field Guide
for Teachers is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and
all other countries with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights
regarding publishing, reprint permissions, public readings, and mechanical or electronic
reproduction, including but not limited to, CD-ROM, information storage and retrieval systems
and photocopying, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly prohibited.
Printed in the United States of America. First Digital Edition: July 2008.
For more information on StageNOTES and other theatre arts related programs, contact:
Camp Broadway, LLC
336 West 37th Street, Suite 460
New York, New York 10018
Telephone: (212) 575-2929
Facsimile: (212) 575-3125
Email: info@campbroadway.com
www.campbroadway.com

Table of Contents
Using the Field Guide and Lessons....................4
Synopsis............................................................5
HISTORY.......................................................9
History Discussion Lesson............................... 11
History Writing Lesson................................... 11
History Experiential Lesson............................ 12
History After Hours Lesson............................. 12
LANGUAGE ARTS.................................... 13
Language Arts Discussion Lesson..................... 15
Language Arts Writing Lesson......................... 15
Language Arts Experiential Lesson.................. 15
Language Arts To Go Lesson........................... 15
BEHAVIORAL STUDIES.......................... 16
Behavioral Studies Discussion Lesson.............. 17
Behavioral Studies Writing Lesson................... 17
Behavioral Studies Experiential Lesson............ 17
Behavioral Studies To Go Lesson..................... 17
LIFE SKILLS............................................... 18
Life Skills Discussion Lesson........................... 19
Life Skills Writing Lesson................................ 19
Life Skills Experiential Lesson......................... 20
Life Skills To Go Lesson.................................. 20
THE ARTS................................................... 21
The Arts Discussion Lesson............................. 23
The Arts Writing Lesson................................. 23
The Arts Experiential Lesson.......................... 23
Billy Elliot the Musical Resources...................... 24

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

Using the Field Guide

Camp Broadway is pleased to bring you this Billy Elliot the Musical edition of
StageNOTES, the 31st in our series. We are proud to be affiliated with this sweeping musical that
debuted on Broadway during the 2008 Season. This guide has been developed as a teaching tool to assist
educators in the classroom who are introducing the story in conjunction with the stage production.
By using StageNOTES, you will understand how Billy Elliot the Musical chronicles the events stemming
from the famous miners strike in Britain during the 1980s (History), expands our vocabulary (Language
Arts), illuminates the human condition (Behavioral Studies), aids in our own self-exploration (Life Skills)
and encourages creative thinking and expression (The Arts).
The Camp Broadway creative team, comprised of theatre educators and theater professionals, has
developed a series of lesson plans inspired by and based on Billy Elliot the Musical, which can accompany
class study. To assist you in preparing your presentation of each lesson, we have included: an objective,
excerpts taken directly from the script, a discussion topic, a writing assignment and an interactive class
activity. The reproducible lessons (handouts) accompany each lesson unit, which contains: an essay
question; a creative exercise; and an after hours activity that encourages students to interact with family,
friends, or the community at large.
The curriculum categories offered in this field guide have been informed by the basic standards of
education detailed in Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12
Education, 2nd Edition, written by John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano (1997). This definitive
compilation was published by Mid-Continent Regional Education Laboratory, Inc. (McREL) and the
Association for Supervision and Curricular Development (ASCD) after a systematic collection, review and
analysis of noteworthy national and state curricular documents in all subjects.
The Billy Elliot the Musical field guide is for you, the educator, in response to your need for a standardscompliant curriculum. We truly hope this field guide will help you incorporate the themes and content of
Billy Elliot the Musical into your classroom lessons.

4 |

Lisa Poelle
CEO, Camp Broadway

Billy Elliot the Musical has been described as a modern-day fairy tale. It is the heartwarming story of a young boy whose life is changed forever when he discovers an
unexpected passion for dance.
The story is set against the turbulent background of the 1984-1985 miners strike in the
small mining town of Easington in the North East of England. Billy is naturally expected
to become a miner like his brother Tony, his father Jackie and his fathers father before him.

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

Synopsis

In Billy Elliot, despite the ravages for the strike, the family
scrapes together 50 pence (approximately $0.79) each week for Billy to go to boxing
lessons. After boxing one day, when Billy is left to pass the hall keys to the resident dance
teacher, the exuberant Mrs. Wilkinson, he finds himself suddenly part of the dance class,
connecting with the power of the music which, quite literally, moves him in a way that he
would never previously have thought possible.
Billy secretly begins to go to ballet classes, unable to tell his family who would never
understand. Boys do boxing not ballet, after all. The only person who Billy does confide in
is his friend Michael, who is happy to listen in between dressing up in his sisters dresses, a
pastime he can explain away very simply: Me dad does it all the time.

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

This particular mining community started in 1899

when industrial leaders sunk a pit, bringing thousands of
workers to settle the area and form a relatively tight-knit
community. Easington is probably best known for a mining
accident on May 29, 1951, when a gas explosion trapped
and eventually killed 81 miners.

Sparks fly when Billys dad, Jackie Elliot, discovers that his son has been frittering away
his hard earned money on ballet instead of boxing. Nevertheless, Billy takes up Mrs.
Wilkinsons secret offer of free private classes in preparation for an audition for the Royal
Ballet School.

In the pit communities, solidarity is the watchword and Tony and the strikers agree to pool
together what little money they have to help Billy go to London and audition. Money
from a strike breaker (a scab) is unwelcome, but it makes the difference and Billy and
Jackie head to the bright lights of London.
This is the story of a young boy who reaches beyond his place in the world to follow his
hearts desire and fight for his dreams.

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

The strike, meanwhile, is getting more and more heated. There are pitched battles between
the police and the miners that split friends and spur Tony Elliot, Billys older brother, to
take the law into his own hands, as he raids his fathers toolbox for a weapon to use against
the police. However, when Jackie Elliot unexpectedly stumbles upon Billy expressing his
deepest emotions through dance, he is suddenly struck by how talented his son is, and
heads off to see Mrs. Wilkinson to find out more about the audition.Going back to work
to earn travel money for the trip to London... It may mean breaking the strike, but Jackie
is determined.

| 5

Brief Background
In 1984, the British National Union of Mineworkers (the NUM) went on strike to save the coal
industry from the closures threatened by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who was politically
opposed to state-owned industry and determined to crush the unions.
The strike went on for one year. The miners families had to survive on handouts from other
working people who supported their stand. However, by employing riot police to intimidate their
communities, and importing coal from Eastern Europe, the government broke the unions. Over
the subsequent ten years, the Conservative government dismantled the entire industry.
The story of Billy Elliot takes place in the coal mines of the North East of England, where mining
had been the major employer for hundreds of years. In 1984 more than 300,000 men worked in
the mining industry; today there are less than 1,000. More than 98 percent of the coal used for
British energy is now imported from abroad.
-Playbill, Billy Elliot the Musical

Glossary of Terms
Bairn: A child or baby.
The Co-op: A chain of food stores commonly owned by their customers.
Purveyor of pasties
Cush: Excellent, very good.
Gagging for(slang): To have an extreme desire for something.
A Geordie: A person from Newcastle upon Tyne.
Hot seating: A device whereby a character is taken out of their scene
and asked questions by the audience, to illuminate their motivations and
intentions and, perhaps, to explain their actions. The actor must stay in
character throughout this process.
Michael Hesseltine: Thatchers Industry Minister, famous for his long
flowing hair.

Wikipedia

NCB: The National Coal Board. The body which controlled the British
coal industry on behalf of the people.

An old postcard of a Cornish pasty

6 |

A pasty: A popular British pie reputedly invented by Cornish tin miners

wives. Often filled with meat and potato.
Scab: A worker who acts against trade union policies, especially a
strikebreaker

Using the Lessons

Discussion

Discussion

Students will discuss

the positives and
negatives associated
with trade unions.

Consider the birth of trade unionism, as far back as

the early guilds, cemented by the establishment of
the Trade Unions Congress in 1868, and the Royal
Commission to legalize trade union organizations
in 1871. New Unions, representing semi-skilled
and unskilled workers began to emerge in the
1880s, and in the early 20th Century trade unions
formed the basis for the Labour Party the first
time that these workers had been given a voice in
national politics.

Objective

Teaching Tips

Life Skills

Discussion

Discussion

To better understand
how to create a satire.

Billy Elliot The Musical has been described as a modern fairy tale. Ask students to explore other
fairy tales that they know, Snow White, The Ugly Duckling, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, for
instance, but to tell them using the characters from Billy Elliot The Musical. In a Cinderella parody,
for instance, Billy is desperate to go to the Ball (or in this case, to London after his audition), but
his father and Tony, taking on the roles of the ugly sisters, will do anything to stop him. Dancing,
after all, is not for lads. Luckily, Billy has a fairy godmother in the shape of Mrs. Wilkinson, who
helps him to win his ultimate prize. In this version, Cinderellas love for the handsome prince is
represented by Billys passion for his dancing. After brainstorming other fairy tales, have students
share their findings with the rest of the class.

Objective
Teaching Tips
List possible ideas
for satiric fairy tale
adaptations on the
blackboard or smart
board.

To write a satiric short

story or one act play
based on a classic fairy
tale.

Teaching Tips
As students work,
encourage them to
share the pieces aloud
with their group.
Students writing one
act plays should assign
roles and listen to their
dialogue to see if the
piece comes alive.

Experiential

Objective

To create a monologue
describing the thrill
of an imagined
adventure.

Writing
Divide the class into small groups. Have
each group select a classic fairy tale and
write a modern adaptation of it as either
a short story or a one act play. They
should set their stories in their own
neighborhoods, using the vocabulary
that they have grown up with and the
experiences they have had.

Experiential

Discussion

The exercise illustrates

interdependency
within a group while
working towards a
common goal.

The story of Billy Elliot was first told as a movie. Later, it

was made into the musical play. Make a list of differences
between presenting a story as a film or on the stage. List
some reasons an artist might choose to present his / her
ideas in one or both mediums.

Objective

Writing

Objective

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

Objective

Discussion

To help students
recognize that some
aspects of their lives
are within their ability
to change and other
areas are beyond their
control.

Billys father is out of his comfort zone throughout the

audition scene, but as an audience, we know that he
is prepared to suffer this for the benefit of his son. In
fact, there is considerable conflict inside Jackie Elliot.
Earlier, having seen Billy dance, he has realized that he
has to make the choice of whether or not to support
his son. The character of Jackie Elliot is complex and
worthy of discussion. It requires an understanding and
appreciation of the sort of community in which Billy
has grown up. There is, undoubtedly, an assumption
that sons will grow up, as Tony Elliot has, to follow in
their fathers footsteps and work in the mine.

Objective

Language Arts

Writing

Discussion

Writing

Teaching Tips
Who is responsible for
your behavior? Is there
such a thing as right
and wrong behavior
or is it okay to do
anything one feels like
doing? How do we
determine acceptable
and unacceptable
behavior? What are
Photo credit:the
Peter short
Lueders/Paul
Kolnik
Studio
and
long
term consequences of
different behaviors?

Students will come

Use props as a stimulus for writing a short story or poem. A single chair placed on a table in the
to better understand
middle of a classroom will mean different things to different students. Try laying the chair on its side
the creative process
of adapting a story for
to provide a suggestion of dramatic image or conflict that students can bring into their stories.
Recently, there was a movie entitled The Bucket List. In the film,the
two stage.
men with terminal illnesses

Experiential

decide to go on a series of adventures. Think of an activity you have dreamed of doing, but have Try including a feather from Mrs. Wilkinsons Shine routine or one of Billys boxing gloves
for
Writing
never done. Perhaps it is something you might want to do in the future.
extra interest. Use the modern fairy tale idea of Billy Elliot The Musical to explore other fairy
tales
Objective

Teaching Tips

What Imagine
shapes you
do you
Research some specific information about the activity on the internet.
go on an
see created
by theor a short
adventure which encompasses this dreamed of activity. Write an extended
monologue
juxtaposition of the
story describing the adventure.

Teaching Tips
Encourage writers to
be in the middle of the
adventure when they
begin.

chair and the props?

What images pop into
your mind? Can you
translate this into a
dramatic conflict?

Experiential

Objective

To better understand
the adaptation process
when a work of art is
transferred from one
artistic medium to
another.

and retelling them in a modern context.

Experiential

Students will practice

translating feelings
into ideas they can
express verbally or in
writing.

Billy Elliot The Musical recognizes and embraces the fact that it is occupying a different form to its
filmic cousin. The adaptation of a film to the stage is a complex process. Rarely is it possibleTeaching
simply
to take the script and transpose it.

Tips

Give students some

models of creative

Explore this adaptation process. Watch the final section of Billy Elliot the film, from about 92
personal narrative
minutes in when Billy visits Mrs. Wilkinson to say goodbye. Then, study the stage show script
fromwritten for
essays
the same place and compare the similarities and differences.
college admission.
In the show, for instance, Billy says goodbye to his dead Mother. This does not happen in the film.
| 23
Clearly,
in the stage production, there cannot easily be a bus journey for Billy, and so his goodbye to
Tony, his brother, is much shorter on stage.
Which version is most effective? Why might the Mother not have been included at the end of the
film and the grown up Billy was not included at the end of the stage show?

To Go

Teaching Tips
Students can make
lists of similarities and
differences between
the film and stage
versions of the scene
on the blackboard or
smart board.

List three unions you

know about through
family members or
friends. List some
reasons unions are
necessary. List some
criticisms often heard
regarding unions.

Writing

Objective
Examine the right
to strike from the
perspectives of labor
and management.

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

The Arts

Have the class take a closer look at Billy, Jackie Elliot,

and Tony Elliot. First, have students make a list of the circumstances beyond their control. For
example, they are all born in a certain social class. Then have students make a list of comparable
circumstances in their own lives. Next, have students make a list of character attributes each of these
characters displays. Then have students make a list of the comparable characteristics they personally
reasons
possess. What behavioral choices did these characters make and List
how didfive
these choices
impact their
lives? How did they impact others? What other choices could they
have made
and what might
union
members
might
have been different if they had behaved differently? Now apply these same questions to your own
choose
to strike.
List
life or that of someone you know. Encourage students to explore
the link between
behavior and
consequences and how the behavioral choices one makes enablefive
or impair
their abilityatostrike
change
reasons
their circumstances.

Teaching Tips

Writing

would be harmful to a
company and a nation.

Experiential

Billy struggles for the words to explain his feelings when asked by the panel how he feels when
he is dancing. Finding the right words is often hard, particularly when you are trying to explain
something emotional.

Objective

The
illustrates
Ask students to imagine they are at a college admissions interview.
The exercise
representative has
just asked
them to describe something about which they feel passionately, be it a sport, music, art, acting,
interdependency
science, video games or dancing as it is for Billy. How do you feel when they achieve their best
within
a strongly
group
in their chosen area? What is it about their passion that makes them
feel more
for itwhile
than
anything else in their lives? How would they feel if it was takenworking
away? What drives
them
to
want
towards
a to
improve?
common goal.

Teaching Tips
Teach the exercises
in small, repeatable | 19
increments.

Photo credit: Peter Lueders/Paul Kolnik Studio

History

Ask students to brainstorm the concept of trade unionism. Why do we need unions? List 10
reasons workers might decide to strike. List 10 reasons the government shouldnt allow workers
who are in vital industries (i.e. coal, oil or gas) to strike.

Writing
Write an essay in the voice of a union president urging his members to strike. Write an essay in
the voice of a government spokesperson telling the media why the workers in a vital industry
should not be permitted to strike.

Experiential
The theme of solidarity in Billy Elliot The Musical is exemplified by the use of unison
movement throughout the show.
Try this unison movement exercise entitled Jump, Jump, Jump. It will require an open
classroom space with desks moved to the perimeters of the room freeing up a large open space
in the center. Divide the class into five or six groups. Each group should consist of at least three
students. Have each group form a straight line facing the front of the room. Each performer
will line up about three feet behind the person in front of him. The exercise will begin with
the first line jumping in place facing front, at the same time, they count to nine loudly. On
the number ten, line one will turn as they jump, clockwise, to face line two. When they have
landed in their place, line two will jump nine times and then turn on the tenth jump just as
line one did. This unison movement will be repeated until the movement gets to the last line.
The last line will jump eight times and turn on the ninth jump. Then, each row will jump eight
times and turn on the ninth jump. When it is line ones turn again, they will jump seven times
and turn on eight. Repeat the process until each row gets to one, and executes just one jump
and a turn.

To Go
Using a list of films provided by your teacher, select one scene and think about how you would
adapt it for the stage. What changes would you make, if any? What differences in form must you use
in order to achieve a successful adaptation? Compare your adaptations with the original film. What
did this process teach you about both mediums?

| 11
| 15

Featured Lesson Units

1 History
2 Language Arts
3 Behavioral Studies
4 Life Skills
5 The Arts

The Standards listed

throughout the StageNOTES
Field Guide are excerpted
from Content Knowledge: A
Compendium of Standards
and Benchmarks for K-12
Education (2nd Edition) by
John S. Kendall and Robert
J. Marzano, published by
Mid-Continent Regional
Educational Laboratory, Inc.
(McREL) and the Association
for Supervision and Curricular
Development (ASCD), 1997.

Each lesson unit (History,

Language Arts, etc.) contains
the following lessons:

Each StageNOTES lesson

generally includes the following
components:

Discussion:
The focus is on facilitating an
in-depth class dialogue.

Objective:
An overall note to the teacher
outlining the goals of the lesson
to follow.

Writing:
The focus is on the expression of
thoughts in written form.
Experiential:
The focus is on understanding
social dynamics as well as
collaboration and teamwork in
small and large groups.
A take-home After Hours
lesson

From the script:

An excerpt or situation from the
script of Billy Elliot the Musical
to help set the stage for the
activity that follows.
Exercise:
A detailed description and
instructions for the activity to be
facilitated in class.
Teaching Tips:
Direct questions teachers may
use to help guide the students
through the activity.

| 7

The

Guide to

Theatergoing Etiquette
In the early part of the nineteenth century, theatrical performances
usually began at six oclock. An evening would last four or
five hours, beginning with a short curtain raiser, followed by
a five-act play, with other short pieces presented during the
intermissions. It might be compared roughly to todays prime-time
television, a series of shows designed to pass the time. With no
television or radio, the theater was a place to find companionship,
light, and warmth on a cold winters evening.
As the century progressed, the theater audience reflected the
changing social climate. More well-to-do patrons still arrived at
six oclock for the full program of the evening, while half price
admission was offered at eight or eight-thirty to the working
class. This allowed for their longer workday and tighter budgets.
Still, the theaters were always full, allowing people to escape the
drudgery of their daily lives and enjoy themselves.
Because of this popularity, theaters began to be built larger and
larger. New progress in construction allowed balconies to be built
overhanging the seats belowin contrast to the earlier style of
receding tiers. This meant that the audience on the main floor
(the section called the orchestra) were out of the line of sight of
the spectators in the galleries. As a result, the crowds became less
busy peoplewatching and gossiping among themselves, and more
interested in watching the performance. The theater managers

began the practice of dimming the lights in the seating area (called
the house lights), focusing the attention of the audience on the
stage. The advent of gas lighting and the limelight (the earliest
spotlights) made the elaborate settings even more attractive to the
eye, gaining the audiences rapt attention.
By the 1850s, the wealthier audiences were no longer looking
for a full evenings entertainment. Curtain time was pushed back
to eight oclock (for the convenience of patrons arriving from
dinner); only one play would be presented, instead of four or five,
freeing the audience for other social activities afterward. Matinee
(afternoon) performances were not given regularly until the 1870s,
allowing society ladies, who would not have ventured out late at
night, the opportunity to attend the theater.
Now in a new millennium, many of these traditions are still with
us. The theater is still a place to see and be seen; eight oclock
is still the standard curtain time; and the excited chatter of the
audience falls to a hush when the house lights dim and the stage
lights go up, and another night on Broadway begins.
You can make sure everyone you know has the very best
experience at the theater by sharing this Theater Etiquette with
them. And now, enjoy the show!

Being a Good Audience

Remember, going to the theater isnt like going to a movie. There are some
different rules to keep in mind when youre at a live performance.
Believe it or not, the actors can actually hear you. The same acoustics
that make it possible for you to hear the actors means that they can hear
all the noises an audience makes: talking, unwrapping candy, cell phones
ringing. Thats why, when youre at a show, there is no food or drink at your
seats (eat your treats at intermission; save the popcorn-munching for the
multiplex)
No talking (even if youre just explaining the plot to the person next to you)
Always keep cell phones and beepers turned off (This even means no
texting your friends during the show to tell them how great it is...)
Of course, what the actors like to hear is how much youre enjoying the
performance. So go ahead and laugh at the funny parts, clap for the songs,
and save your biggest cheers and applause for your favorite actors at the
curtain call. Thats their proof of a job well done.

8 |

History

The Miners Strike: 1984-85

Strained Beginnings

Ian MacGregor, Chairman of the National Coal Board (NCB),

believed that when he joined the organization in September
of 1983, Arthur Scargill, President of the National Union of
Mineworkers (NUM) had already decided to strike. According to

(UK) was now sold to the Central Electricity Generating Board

(CEGB) or exported overseas. The NCB was unable to remain
competitive in its exports and the CEGB complained that coal
prices were driven up drastically with the rise of new technology.
After the 1974 miners strike, The Labour Government devised
a Plan for Coal that committed the country to withstanding
a steadily growing demand for coal, despite the fact that the
countrys real need for coal was diminishing because of the world
trade depression of the 1970s and the rise of nuclear and oilburning plants producing electricity without the need for coal. As
a result, the NCB was operating at a significant loss and was being
subsidized by the taxpayers at a cost of 875 million per year.

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

Clash of Values

Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1979, believed

that the coal mining industry had come to symbolize everything
that was wrong with Britain. Sensing the inevitability of the
strike, she began to build up the national stocks of oil.
Arthur Scargill continued to believe that no pit should be closed

Summary of Standards
for HISTORY:
Understanding and analyzing chronological
relationships and patterns:
n

MacGregor, demand for coal had dropped by two-thirds since the

1920s and a re-structuring of the industry was long overdue. Those
pits not turning a profit had to close and productivity had to be
increased to secure at least some of the miners jobs. He argued
that coal mining was a labor intensive and inefficient industry
with cheap oil and gas power available, the industry had become
unsustainable.
On January 1, 1947, Clement Atlees Labour Government created
the NCB to manage the coal industry on behalf of the people.
Atlee proposed a large-scale nationalization program that would
give the government power to oversee the industry which was
not only socialist in nature but also attractive to the NUM.
Through the early 1980s, the role of coal in the market place
had changed. Most of the coal mined in the United Kingdom

 nalyze influence of specific beliefs on these times.

A
How would events be different in the absence of
these beliefs?
Analyze the effects specific decisions had on history.
How would things have been different in the absence
of these specific decisions?

Understanding the historical perspective:

n

n
n

 nderstand that the consequences of human

U
intentions are influenced by the means of carrying
them out
Understand how the past affects our private lives
and society in general
Perceive past events with historical empathy
Evaluate credibility and authenticity of historical
sources
Evaluate the validity and credibility of different
historical interpretations

| 9

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

unless it was physically exhausted. Any pit that was operating at

a loss simply needed greater investment. Scargills Marxist view
that if there are resources of coal, then the coal should be reduced
regardless of economic implications contrasted sharply with
Thatchers view that the NCB had not properly regulated the
NUM, destroying future economic prospects.
Scargill never called for a national ballot regarding the possibility
of a strike in the face of pit closures, believing it should be an issue
dealt with by local NUM members. The announcement on March
1, 1984 that the Cortonwood colliery in South Yorkshire was
closing precipitated the first of these local ballots and became both
vindication of the NUMs belief in a secret hit list of pits that
the NCB wanted to close and justification for their growing series
of local strikes (which began on March 8, 1984).

The Strike

Scargill was resolved that the strike would be adopted up

and down the country while Thatcher and MacGregor were
determined to use any tactics to ensure that this would not
become a reality thus they dedicated resources to the police and
courts against the strikers.
Battle lines were drawn between mobilized police, brought in
from long-distance to quell the strikers and the flying pickets, who
had traveled from their own pits to ensure that others supported
their cause. The real victims of the strike were the communities
affected on a day-to-day basis; small local economies owed their
survival almost entirely to them. As the positions of the NUM
and the NCB became more entrenched as the strike continued,

10 |

communities were split as some felt the only option was to return
to work.
Families and communities were split. Reporters wrote stories
about family members and friends who were, seemingly, becoming
enemies. Conlin Hughes, writing in The Times on June 18,
1984 observed that the contrast defies splits and solidarities
which deepen each day the strike continues, often overriding the
apparent issues of the dispute itself
As the strike progressed, as anger deepened, hardship increased,
violence intensified, rhetoric became tougher and splits widened,
solidarity, once the preserve of the miners, became the metaphoric
battle cry of both sides. The strike eventually ended on March 3,
1985. On the following day, The Daily Mirror commented that
Nobody in elected office, whether president of a union or prime
minister of the country, has a right to fight to a finish when it is
the nations finish. Britain has been put back a year but the scars
will be with us for a generation.

Discussion

Discussion

Students will discuss

the positives and
negatives associated
with trade unions.

Consider the birth of trade unionism, as far back as

the early guilds, cemented by the establishment of
the Trade Unions Congress in 1868, and the Royal
Commission to legalize trade union organizations
in 1871. New Unions, representing semi-skilled
and unskilled workers began to emerge in the
1880s, and in the early 20th Century trade unions
formed the basis for the Labour Party the first
time that these workers had been given a voice in
national politics.

Objective

Teaching Tips
List three unions you
know about through
family members or
friends. List some
reasons unions are
necessary. List some
criticisms often heard
regarding unions.

Writing

Objective
Examine the right
to strike from the
perspectives of labor
and management.

Teaching Tips
List five reasons
union members might
choose to strike. List
five reasons a strike
would be harmful to a
company and a nation.

Experiential

Objective

The exercise illustrates

interdependency
within a group while
working towards a
common goal.

Teaching Tips
Teach the exercises
in small, repeatable
increments.

Photo credit: Peter Lueders/Paul Kolnik Studio

History

Ask students to brainstorm the concept of trade unionism. Why do we need unions? List 10
reasons workers might decide to strike. List 10 reasons the government shouldnt allow workers
who are in vital industries (i.e. coal, oil or gas) to strike.

Writing
Write an essay in the voice of a union president urging his members to strike. Write an essay in
the voice of a government spokesperson telling the media why the workers in a vital industry
should not be permitted to strike.

Experiential
The theme of solidarity in Billy Elliot the Musical is exemplified by the use of unison movement
throughout the show.
Try this unison movement exercise entitled Jump, Jump, Jump. It will require an open
classroom space with desks moved to the perimeters of the room freeing up a large open space
in the center. Divide the class into five or six groups. Each group should consist of at least three
students. Have each group form a straight line facing the front of the room. Each performer
will line up about three feet behind the person in front of him. The exercise will begin with
the first line jumping in place facing front, at the same time, they count to nine loudly. On
the number ten, line one will turn as they jump, clockwise, to face line two. When they have
landed in their place, line two will jump nine times and then turn on the tenth jump just as
line one did. This unison movement will be repeated until the movement gets to the last line.
The last line will jump eight times and turn on the ninth jump. Then, each row will jump eight
times and turn on the ninth jump. When it is line ones turn again, they will jump seven times
and turn on eight. Repeat the process until each row gets to one, and executes just one jump
and a turn.

| 11

History
Repeat the exercise and ask the students to call the numbers out loudly. Then, they should jump in
unison and turn the same way at the same time. This will be a challenge for some groups.
Finally, repeat the exercise without students calling the numbers out loud. They will need to rely on
their listening skills and use their peripheral vision to be successful.
After the exercise, discuss the difficulties of actors performing in unison and why it is very
impressive when we see it on stage as we do in Billy Elliot.

After Hours

Objective
Students will connect
a divisive historical
event to their own
lives.

Teaching Tips
Guide students to
see that how divisive
events are viewed
often depends upon
the history of the
individual experiencing
the event.

12 |

Photo credit: Alistair Muir

Ask students to select individual movements and see if

they can perform these movements in unison, working
together with a small group this process will either need
to be recorded or one person from each group will need
to stand out and watch, as this is the only way to detect
whether the group is really moving in unison. Recording
and playback of such sequences will also help to reinforce
the effect of successful unison work.
Another exercise might be to ask students to select other
kinds of individual movements to see if they can perform
these movements in unison, working together with a small
group this process will either need to be recorded, or
one person from each group will need to stand out and
watch, as this is the only way to detect whether the group
is really moving in unison. Recording and observing the
playback of such sequences will also help to reinforce the
effect of successful unison work.

Students may find it easier to consider pedestrian

movement as a stimulus for individual movements that work successfully when performed in
unison. For instance, ask students to walk forward for eight counts, salute for eight counts, turn for
eight counts. Put the individual movements together to create a larger piece of unison work.

After Hours
Conduct three interviews outside of class, take notes, and bring them in for discussion. Interview
two members of your family from different generations (for example, your aunt and your
grandfather). Ask each of them to describe an event they have lived through that was divisive:
meaning an event that divides people, communities, countries, etc. Great examples of a divisive
event are the civil rights movement, anti-war protests in the 1960s, and the womens suffrage
movement. What did they experience? What did they feel as it was happening? How was or wasnt
it resolved? Be prepared to discuss how their perspectives shaped their accounts of these events.

Language Arts

Its a good bit of painting, mind. Thats what you
call emulsion.
Stephen Daldry talks about his work on Billy Elliot the
Musical.
1. W
 hat is different in your approach to film directing
and directing for the stage?

Thats a hard question. In film it only has to happen once, while

on stage it has to happen every night. So, there is a need for a
much longer rehearsal process for the theater in order for the
actors to build a structure that they can rely on every evening.
Creating theatre is more fun in a way because you are together
for so much longer: youre more of a family. On the other hand
film ostensibly gives you more control over the final product,
through cutting and editing. Theyre both so different but you
bring the same attitudes and skills to very different problems. In
both youre doing your best to tell a good story but while in film
you can do that with choice of shot in theatre you have to do it by
establishing exactly where the focus is on the stage.

We all got involved very early on. Once the idea was mooted it
was pretty much a collaborative process. Obviously things happen
while youre filming that you think you can do better later on, just
as things happen when filming, through chance and luck, that you
want to keep and develop.
Once of the biggest differences between the film and the stage
show is that on film we didnt have to have young boys who could
sing, dance in many different styles including ballet and act. On
film the amount of time Billy spends dancing is actually relatively
little. On stage Billy has to dance often and brilliantly. This was a
risk we took in so far as, at the time, we didnt know we would
find the boys to do it. We were so lucky to find the boys we did
and continue to find.

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

2. A
 t what point in the production process did you
become involved in the adaptation? Was there
anything that you particularly wanted Lee Hall to
change when the film became a musical? Was there
anything that you were determined should stay the
same?

3. W
 hile the stage version of Billy Elliot is still clearly
Billys story, it seems to have a much greater
emphasis on the story of the mining dispute and
the effect on the community than the film. It is also
grittier, particularly in terms of language. How did
this change of emphasis develop?

I think its fair to say that it was a conscious decision to make the
stage show more political than the film and much of an elegy for
the destruction of the Trade Union movement by Thatcher. The
gritty language was inevitable given that we wanted to articulate
the rage of the community at the hands of the forces of Thatchers
disposal. The fact is that people swear; the fact is that children use
bad language. We didnt want to shy away from this.

| 13

I dont see the scenes you mention as being especially filmic. I

would see them as theatrical.You necessarily have less stuff at your
disposal in the theater so the task is to create as much atmosphere
as you can with very little. When Jackie Elliot visits Mrs. Wilkinson
all you can see is a door, some snow and two actors in the light on
a bare stage. This isnt an effect that you could create on film, nor
would you really want to.
While Peter Darling (choreography) and Martin Koch (musical
supervision and orchestrations) had done very successful musicals
before, the rest of us were quite new to the form. It seems a
bit silly to have a bunch of fantastic musicians hanging around
without using them. Music is another tool you can use for telling
a story, maintaining tension and creating emotion. I dont know
if it was a deliberate decision but like so many other things that
happen in a creative process it seemed obvious at the time.
5. In Act One, the juxtaposing of the miners on the
picket line and the police with the ballet class
is particularly striking and complex. Could you
describe how this scene came about through the
rehearsal process?

Summary of Standards for

LANGUAGE ARTS:
Writing
n

n
n

 emonstrates competence in the general skills and

D
strategies of the writing process
Prewriting, drafting and revising, editing and publishing
Demonstrates competence in the stylistic and
rhetorical aspects of writing
Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in
written compositions
Gathers and uses information for research purposes

Reading
n

 emonstrates competence in the general skills and

D
strategies of the reading process
Demonstrates competence in the general skills and
strategies for reading a variety of literary texts
Demonstrates competence in the general skills and
strategies for reading a variety of informational texts

Listening and Speaking

n

 emonstrates competence in speaking and listening

D
as tools for learning

14 |

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

4. M
 uch of the stage show seems to have a very filmic
quality to it (i.e. the scene where Jackie Elliot goes
to see Mrs. Wilkinson, the miners lift descending at
the back of the stage with Billy in the foreground,
and the music used to underscore scenes and
dialogue as well as provide the songs). Do you think
that this quality was inevitable given that you are a
film director, adapting a film, or was it a conscious
decision?

Its very astute of you to pick this particular number because it was
created in a slightly different way than some of the other numbers.
Lee wanted to find a way to reproduce the jump cut sequence
from the film in which you see Billy practicing and practicing
the pirouette until he can do it. At the same time we wanted to
emphasize that Billy was pursuing his dreams while the strike was
developing, that Billy was pursuing his dream despite the strike.
We didnt know just how we would get the two elements to make
sense on stage together. We organized a workshop in which all
three of us, Peter, Lee, and me fought sometimes vociferously
our different corners. The result was a true collaboration and the
number contains the tensions between our different approaches
to telling a story.
6. W
 hat discussions did you have surrounding the
issue of strong language in the show? How would
you reassure teachers on this subject when they
are considering bringing students to see Billy Elliot
the Musical?

We talked about this quite a lot. Its a difficult issue and I

suppose we could have taken it all out or substituted words like
feckin. I seem to remember we did try certain scenes without
it but it just felt ridiculous, as if we were in the 19th century
covering piano legs with lace. I believe that what we have on
stage is true to the lives we are portraying as Ive said above
and true to the rage and anger of a community under threat.
Since the show opened weve been very careful to state that the
show contains strong language. Surprisingly we have had very
few complaints, certainly many less than we thought wed get.
I think the audience appreciates that the language is true to the
people portrayed on stage.

Language Arts
Experiential

Discussion

The exercise illustrates

interdependency
within a group while
working towards a
common goal.

The story of Billy Elliot was first told as a movie. Later, it

was made into the musical play. Make a list of differences
between presenting a story as a film or on the stage. List
some reasons an artist might choose to present his / her
ideas in one or both mediums.

Objective

Photo credit: Peter Lueders/Paul Kolnik Studio

Writing

Objective
Students will come
to better understand
the creative process
of adapting a story for
the stage.

Teaching Tips
What shapes do you
see created by the
juxtaposition of the
chair and the props?
What images pop into
your mind? Can you
translate this into a
dramatic conflict?

Writing
Use props as a stimulus for writing a short story or poem. A single chair placed on a table in the
middle of a classroom will mean different things to different students. Try laying the chair on its side
to provide a suggestion of dramatic image or conflict that students can bring into their stories.
Try including a feather from Mrs. Wilkinsons Shine routine or one of Billys boxing gloves for
extra interest. Use the modern fairy tale idea of Billy Elliot the Musical to explore other fairy tales
and retelling them in a modern context.

Experiential
Billy Elliot the Musical recognizes and embraces the fact that it is occupying a different form to its
filmic cousin. The adaptation of a film to the stage is a complex process. Rarely is it possible simply
to take the script and transpose it.

Experiential

Explore this adaptation process. Watch the final section of Billy Elliot the film, from about 92
minutes in when Billy visits Mrs. Wilkinson to say goodbye. Then, study the stage show script from
the same place and compare the similarities and differences. (See script on page 24 of this guide.)

To better understand
the adaptation process
when a work of art is
transferred from one
artistic medium to
another.

In the show, for instance, Billy says goodbye to his dead Mother. This does not happen in the film.
Clearly, in the stage production, there cannot easily be a bus journey for Billy, and so his goodbye to
Tony, his brother, is much shorter on stage.

Objective

Which version is most effective? Why might the Mother not have been included at the end of the
film and the grown up Billy was not included at the end of the stage show?

To Go

Teaching Tips
Students can make
lists of similarities and
differences between
the film and stage
versions of the scene
on the blackboard or
smart board.

To Go
Using a list of films provided by your teacher, select one scene and think about how you would
adapt it for the stage. What changes would you make, if any? What differences in form must you use
in order to achieve a successful adaptation? Compare your adaptations with the original film. What
did this process teach you about both mediums?

| 15

Behavioral Studies

Start a new fashion, buck
all the trends.
Billy visits Michael, where he is very surprised to discover his friend dressed
up in his sisters clothes. Michael convinces Billy that this is perfectly normal
behavior, and proceeds to dress a reluctant Billy up too, at which point they
burst into an energetic dance routine.
Michaels story is similar to Billys in the sense that have both grown up in a
small mining community where people are expected to behave in a particular
way and there is little opportunity for them to be the individuals they want to
be. In this narrow-minded environment, it is assumed that any boy interested
in ballet must be gay regardless of whether this is the case or not, and no boy
would ever be encouraged to take classes. Homosexuality would certainly be
frowned up, if it were ever discussed, and the community would certainly be
shocked by Michaels dressing up.

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

It is not until Jackie, Billys father, sees and appreciates the power of Billys
talent that he can begin to even consider offering his support. Eventually
accompanying his son to the Royal Ballet School audition, Jackie steps into a
completely alien world, and although now supportive of his son, he is still wary
when he meets a professional male adult dancer for the first time.

Summary of
Standards for
BEHAVIORAL STUDIES
n

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

16 |

 nderstands that group and cultural

U
influences contribute to human
development, identity and behavior
Understands various meanings of
social group, general implications of
group membership, and different ways
that groups function
Understands that interactions among
learning, inheritance and physical
development affect human behavior
Understands conflict, cooperation and
interdependence among individuals,
groups and institutions

Behavioral Studies
Discussion

Objective
Students will examine
how peoples opinions
are shaped by the
media.

Teaching Tips
Provide students with
links to websites,
articles, editorials or
op-ed pieces which
present varied points
of view. Look at
the sources for the
information and see
if an obvious slant
a social, political or
moral bias can be
detected.

Experiential

Objective

To view life from

someone elses
perspective.

Teaching Tips
Encourage students
to place themselves in
the context of the play
and honestly answer
as the character
would.

Discussion
The media is regularly responsible for presenting opinions as fact on the position of minority
groups in society. Students, looking at the messages and values that are portrayed by media
organizations, could consider Michaels story from the point of view of the community in
which he lives. Why is it, for instance, that certain sections of society feel so strongly about
particular minority groups?
Internet research, particularly amongst news sites, may provide part of the answer. Clearly,
Michaels story is from the early 1980s and some may argue that attitudes have changed,
but students may wish to investigate whether this is actually the case. Examine some of the
news stories related to the 2008 presidential election. Read some stories related to the issues
of prejudice connected to Barack Obamas candidacy. Look at news stories connected to
Californias Proposition 8. Does the media provide the rational, balanced viewpoint it claims?

Writing
Write and design your own newspaper front page, based on the attitudes that Michael could
have encountered in County Durham after Billy left for London. Would he have encountered
verbal or physical abuse? What position would his father, a working miner, have taken?
Consider, for instance, Jackie Elliots attitude towards Billy dancing and his reaction to the older
dancer at the audition. Consider your story from the point of view of two newspapers with
differing positions. How would the story run in your local paper, for instance, and how would
this differ from a newspaper like The New York Times or The New York Post?

Experiential
Set up a chain in the front of the room to Hot Seat students as Billy. Students who are
empathetic to Michaels situation and feelings will take turns in the hot seat. Other class
members will play people in Michaels family and community. They will question Billy about
his friend Michael in order to better understand him.
Next, Hot Seat students as Michael and allow class members representing Billys family and
community question him about Billys desire to become a ballet dancer.

To Go
Put yourself in the position of a minority group to which you do not belong. How would you
react to the lack of tolerance that may be directed at you, perhaps on a daily basis?
Write five diary entries from this new perspective. In what ways might your life be affected by
other peoples attitudes? To what extent can you live your life without fear or intimidation? Be
sure your entries capture your day-to-day experiences from this new perspective. It is essential
that your entries not emphasize the dramatic but, instead, focus on how intolerance might seep
into your everyday life. Use these entries, and your newfound experiences, to discuss how your
views on intolerance might have changed.

| 17

Life Skills
In the musical, Billys dad makes a difficult personal decision when
he decides to become a strike breaker. He becomes a scab and
returns to work because he needs money for Billys ballet audition
in London. What is perhaps even more difficult is that he must
explain his decision to his other son, Tony.

HE COULD BE A STAR FOR ALL WE KNOW

WE DONT KNOW HOW FAR HE CAN GO
AND ONLY I CAN GIVE WHAT I CAN GIVE
AND ONLY I CAN GIVE WHAT I CAN GIVE
HE COULD GO AND HE COULD SHINE
NOT JUST STAY HERE COUNTING TIME
SON WEVE GOT THE CHANCE TO LET HIM LIVE,YES,
WEVE GOT THE
CHANCE TO LET HIM LIVE
In the song, Dad sings about giving his kid a future. Parents often
make sacrifices both big and small to help their children. Many

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

He sings:
DAD
I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE SON
IT WAS TEARING ME APART
WERE LOST, WERE FINISHED MAN, WERE THROUGH
I NEED TO GIVE THE KID A FUTURE
I NEED TO LOOK HIM IN THE EYE
BELIEVE ME SON ID DO THE SAME FOR YOU

times these actions do not even involve money, but are personal
sacrifices made out of love.
Make a list of 10 things your parents or guardians have done, or
that parents might do, because they love their children and want
them to have better futures.
Write a letter to one of your parents or guardians thanking them
for a personal sacrifice they have made which is, in some way,
related to your future.

Summary of Standards for LIFE SKILLS

n

Thinking and Reasoning

n

 nderstands and applies the basic principles of

U
presenting an argument
Understands and applies basic principles of logic and
reasoning
Effectively uses mental processes that are based in
identifying similarities and differences (compares,
contrasts, classifies)
Understands and applies basic principles of hypothesis
testing and scientific inquiry
Applies basic trouble-shooting and problem-solving
techniques
Applies decision-making techniques

Working with Others

n
n
n

 ontributes to the overall effort of a group

C
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse
situations

18 |

 isplays effective interpersonal communication skills

D
Demonstrates leadership skills

Self-Regulation
n
n
n
n
n
n

 ets and manages goals

S
Performs self-appraisal
Considers risks
Demonstrates perseverance
Maintains a healthy self-concept
Restrains impulsivity

Life Work
n
n

n
n
n
n
n
n

 akes effective use of basic tools

M
Uses various information sources, including those of a
technical nature, to accomplish specific tasks
Manages money effectively
Pursues specific jobs
Makes general preparation for entering the work force
Makes effective use of basic life skills
Displays reliability and a basic work ethic
Operates effectively within organizations

Discussion

Discussion

To help students
recognize that some
aspects of their lives
are within their ability
to change and other
areas are beyond their
control.

Billys father is out of his comfort zone throughout the

audition scene, but as an audience, we know that he
is prepared to suffer this for the benefit of his son. In
fact, there is considerable conflict inside Jackie Elliot.
Earlier, having seen Billy dance, he has realized that he
has to make the choice of whether or not to support
his son. The character of Jackie Elliot is complex and
worthy of discussion. It requires an understanding and
appreciation of the sort of community in which Billy
has grown up. There is, undoubtedly, an assumption
that sons will grow up, as Tony Elliot has, to follow in
their fathers footsteps and work in the mine.

Objective

Teaching Tips
Who is responsible for
your behavior? Is there
such a thing as right
and wrong behavior
or is it okay to do
anything one feels like
doing? How do we
determine acceptable
and unacceptable
behavior? What are
the short and long
term consequences of
different behaviors?

Writing

Objective
Students will practice
translating feelings
into ideas they can
express verbally or in
writing.

Teaching Tips
Give students some
models of creative
personal narrative
essays written for
college admission.

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

Life Skills

Have the class take a closer look at Billy, Jackie Elliot,

and Tony Elliot. First, have students make a list of the circumstances beyond their control. For
example, they are all born in a certain social class. Then have students make a list of comparable
circumstances in their own lives. Next, have students make a list of character attributes each of these
characters displays. Then have students make a list of the comparable characteristics they personally
possess. What behavioral choices did these characters make and how did these choices impact their
lives? How did they impact others? What other choices could they have made and what might
have been different if they had behaved differently? Now apply these same questions to your own
life or that of someone you know. Encourage students to explore the link between behavior and
consequences and how the behavioral choices one makes enable or impair their ability to change
their circumstances.

Writing
Billy struggles for the words to explain his feelings when asked by the panel how he feels when
he is dancing. Finding the right words is often hard, particularly when you are trying to explain
something emotional.
Ask students to imagine they are at a college admissions interview. The representative has just asked
them to describe something about which they feel passionately, be it a sport, music, art, acting,
science, video games or dancing as it is for Billy. How do you feel when they achieve their best
in their chosen area? What is it about their passion that makes them feel more strongly for it than
anything else in their lives? How would they feel if it was taken away? What drives them to want to
improve?

| 19

Life Skills
Experiential

Objective

The emotional tone

and volume level in our
voices can greatly affect
how people perceive us
when we argue.

Teaching Tips
Have students
experiment with the
scene using a variety
of vocal qualities
volume, pitch, tone,
rate, etc. Discuss
how this affects the
scene and the way the
audience perceives the
two characters. Extend
this to a discussion
of how a speaker can
effectively use and
control his / her voice
in a spirited debate.

To Go

Objective
Students will learn
more about how
media specialists
manipulate our
perceptions and
emotions.

Teaching Tips
What examples of
political advertising
did you find most
effective? Which
ones were least
effective? Were
the most effective
advertisements
focused on the
positive or the
negative? Contrast
and compare specific
advertisements.

20 |

Experiential
Read the scene between Jackie Elliot and Mrs. Wilkinson with students, highlighting the tensions
and assumptions that are made by both Jackie and Mrs. Wilkinson. (See script on page 26 of this
guide.) There is history between these two characters, their relationship is already an uneasy one
and Jackie must build bridges as best he can. He also requires answers, in an area about which he
has no knowledge or experience. He is out of his depth.
Students should also consider the issue of pride on both sides. Jackie Elliot and Mrs. Wilkinson
live in a proud community and letting down their defenses is not something that either of them
does easily. And yet, both of them have Billys interests in the forefront of their minds and as much
as they would naturally love to show their tempers and shout at each other, they have to keep
this particular instinct in check during this awkward conversation. Play the scene, exploring the
changing dynamics and perhaps manipulating the tensions for dramatic effect and to highlight
specific traits of each character. Playing around with the status of each character will also reveal
fresh insights.

To Go
More and more, the success or otherwise of political parties is determined not by their policies, but
on how effectively they market themselves and control the information that they present to the
public.
This was already true, to an extent, during the miners strike. In fact, the National Coal Boards lack
of an effective media strategy is, according to Margaret Thatcher at least, one of the main reasons
why they were unable to get their message across to the miners and stop it from being highjacked
and misinterpreted by the NUM (Margaret Thatcher, The Downing Street Years).
Billy Elliot the Musical provides us with a prime example of political advertising, with the use of the
Conservative billboard poster Labour isnt workingBritains better off with the Conservatives.
In their study of media messages and values, students can use this poster and other political posters
like it to illustrate negative and positive advertising. The clever play on words, in this case, isnt
saying support us because we have the best policies, which you might expect from a political
party, but rather, support us because the opposition are so awful. Ask students to do internet
research to look at negative print and video advertisements from the recent presidential election.
Consider whether this style of advertising is healthy. Does it work? Is it fair or is it simply a cynical
ploy designed to confuse? What messages and values lie behind this style of advertising?

The Arts
In everything you do, always be yourself.
Trent Kowalik talks about the journey to his role as Billy Elliot.

Back in October 2005, a casting director,

Heather Baird, asked an Irish dance
teacher, Niall OLeary, if he knew of any
Irish dancers who should be considered
as possible Billys. Niall told her to call my
teacher Sean Reagan and set up an audition
for me. I had seen the movie and I was
quite intrigued by the idea of a musical
theatre audition. In November 2005, I
attended my first audition (NYC) and
there I was asked to sing, dance, act and
even create some of my own material. I was
called back a second day and told I would
be contacted. One year later, November
2006, I was brought back for a similar
audition and then in June 2007, I attended
a 10 day (NYC) intensive audition with
just 15 boys and full days of singing, acting,
dancing and acrobatics. A few weeks later I
was offered the part of Billyin London!
2. H
 ow long was the rehearsal process? Who did you
work with initially? At what point did you work with
the main cast? How long was it before you worked on
the stage at the Imperial Theatre and what was it like?

Billys wish to be a dancer. Think about what they

say to him in the show. Has anybody reacted in the
same way to you when you told your friends and
family that you wanted to dance in Billy Elliot the
Musical? What have people said?

If anybody has reacted negatively to either

my dancing or my part in Billy Elliot
the Musical, I would have to say its been
behind my back. My family, friends and
community couldnt be more supportive.
4. C
 an you describe how your
schedule works? What happens
about school? Friends? Family?

My morning begins with tutoring,

then we have rehearsals and scenework
throughout the afternoon, sometimes a
bit more tutoring, and the shows 6 nights
per week and 2 afternoons. For each
show there is an assigned Billy and a Billy
standby, so each of us Billys are in the
theatre about 5 times a week doing the
role or standing by. Friends visit when they
canI share an apartment here in the city
with my sister who attends college. I go
home to Long Island at least one day a week.
Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

1. C
 an you describe the way in which you landed the
part of Billy Elliot? How did you find out about the
show? What made you audition? Where did you
audition? What did you have to do at the audition?
What happened after you had auditioned?

5. W
 hat are the best parts about being in Billy Elliot
the Musical?

In London I rehearsed with Nick Evans (acting) and Damian

Jackson (ballet) amongst other coaches for three months before
taking the stage on December 17, 2007. I returned to NY in June
2007, where I began rehearsing June 30 for the NY production.
We worked with Stephen Daldry, Julian Webber, Peter Darling,
David Chase and many others. We rehearsed scenes with various
cast members. About two months after starting, we moved onto
the Imperial Theatre stage and started full cast rehearsals. It was the
most awesome feeling to know this was the Broadway stage where
we would be performing!

The best parts about being in Billy Elliot the Musical are doing
what I love and doing it for a large audience which is usually very
appreciative.

3. T
 he story of Billy Elliot the Musical focuses on the
lack of understanding that his community have for

7. W
 hat would you like school students to learn from
watching Billy Elliot the Musical?

6. W
 hat is the hardest thing that youve had to learn
how to do for the show?

The hardest thing Ive had to do is bring my ballet skills up several

notches. My co-Billys, David and Kiril, are tops in our age-group
for ballet and that is very inspirational!

| 21

I would like school students to learn from watching Billy Elliot

the Musical, that despite all odds, if you have the desire to do
something, you can do it.
8. If a student told you that they had ambitions to be
in a Broadway show, what advice would you give to
them?

If a student told me that they wanted to be in a Broadway show I

would tell them to practice, practice, practice. Participate in school
and community theatre. Check out the casting callsand go for
it!!

After Billy Elliot the Musical, I want to continue acting and keep
my singing and dancing skills up. There are no specific parts I
am looking to get; I just want to stay in the industry. I never had
an opinion of the theatre industry before; now Id have to say
most people probably ONLY see the glamorous side of it. It is
glamorous to be on Broadway and get so much media attention
but it also involves a lot of personal sacrifice. The weeks are
long6 days and sometimes publicity engagements on the 7th.
The days are long9 am tutoring and 11 pm leaving the theatre.

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

9. W
 hat do you want to do when you leave the cast
of Billy Elliot the Musical? Are there any other parts
that you are desperate to get? What do you think
about the theatre industry now that you have done
Billy Elliot the Musical? Has your opinion changed? Is
it as glamorous as some people think? In what ways
is it glamorous and in what ways is it not?

The chances of getting to your friends parties and social outings

are pretty slim most days.You dont have time for a lot of family
eventsand even holidays are affected.You really have to love it.
Fortunately, I do!!

Summary of Standards for THE ARTS

Art Connections
n

 nderstands connections among the various art forms

U
and other disciplines

Music
n
n

n
n

n
n

 ings, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music

S
Performs on instruments, alone and with others, a
varied repertoire of music
Improvises melodies, variations and accompaniments
Composes and arranges music within specified
guidelines
Reads and notates music
Knows and applies appropriate criteria to music and
music performances
Understands the relationship between music history
and culture

Theater
n
n
n

 emonstrates competence in writing scripts

D
Uses acting skills
Designs and produces informal and formal productions

22 |

n
n

 irects scenes and productions

D
Understands how informal and formal theater, film,
television and electronic media productions create and
communicate meaning
Understands the context in which theater, film,
television and electronic media are performed today as
well as in the past

Visual Arts
n

 nderstands and applies media, techniques and

U
processes related to the visual arts
Knows how to use the structures (e.g. sensory
qualities, organizational principles, expressive features)
and functions of art
Knows a range of subject matter, symbols and
potential ideas in the visual arts
Understands the visual arts in relation to history and
cultures
Understands the characters and merits of one own
artwork and the artwork of others

The Arts
Discussion

Discussion

To better understand
how to create a satire.

Billy Elliot the Musical has been described as a modern fairy tale. Ask students to explore other
fairy tales that they know (for example, Snow White, The Ugly Duckling, Cinderella, Little Red Riding
Hood, etc.), and to tell the tales using characters from Billy Elliot the Musical. In a Cinderella parody,
for instance, Billy is desperate to go to the Ball (or in this case, to London for his audition), but
his father and Tony, taking on the roles of the ugly sisters, will do anything to stop him. Dancing,
after all, is not for lads. Luckily, Billy has a fairy godmother in the shape of Mrs. Wilkinson, who
helps him to win his ultimate prize. In this version, Cinderellas love for the handsome prince is
represented by Billys passion for his dancing. After brainstorming other fairy tales, have students
share their findings with the rest of the class.

Objective
Teaching Tips
List possible ideas
for satiric fairy tale
adaptations on the
blackboard or smart
board.

Writing

To write a satiric short

story or one act play
based on a classic fairy
tale.

Teaching Tips
As students work,
encourage them to
share the pieces aloud
with their group.
Students writing one
act plays should assign
roles and listen to their
dialogue to see if the
piece comes alive.

Experiential

Objective

To create a monologue
describing the thrill
of an imagined
adventure.

Writing
Divide the class into small groups. Have
each group select a classic fairy tale and
write a modern adaptation of it as either
a short story or a one act play. They
should set their stories in their own
neighborhoods, using the vocabulary
that they have grown up with and the
experiences they have had.

Photo credit: David Scheinmann

Objective

Experiential
Recently, there was a movie entitled The Bucket List. In the film, two men with terminal illnesses
decide to go on a series of adventures. Think of an activity you have dreamed of doing, but have
never done. Perhaps it is something you might want to do in the future.
Research some specific information about the activity on the internet. Imagine you go on an
adventure which encompasses this dreamed of activity. Write an extended monologue or a short
story describing the adventure.

Teaching Tips
Encourage writers to
be in the middle of the
adventure when they
begin.

| 23

Billy Says Goodbye

to Mrs. Wilkinson
Script excerpt for activity on Page 15 of the Study Guide

Hello.
Hello

MrS Wilkinson
BILLY

Mrs WILKSINSON
Can I help you?
BILLY
I just came to tell you - I got in.
Oh

MRS Wilkinson

BILLY
My Dad thought you should know.
MRS Wilkinson
Its alright. They sent uz a letter
when it happened.
BILLY
Miss, I know I should have come before
to tell ya, but you know...
MRS Wilkinson
I can imagine. Toilet break, girls!
Debbie, go on.
BILLY
Well, bye-bye Miss. And Miss, I just
wanted to say thanks, Miss. For
everything - what you did. I could
never have done it without you, Miss.

24 |

MRS Wilkinson
Yeah, well good luck then Billy.
BILLY
Thanks. Well, goodbye.
Goodbye then.

MRS Wilkinson

BILLY
Ill miss you, Miss.
MRS Wilkinson
No you wont, Billy. Youll get
down there and realise what a crap
little dancing school this was. What
a complete second rate training I
gave you. And youll spend five years
unlearning everything I taught you.
Its alright, its the way it is.
BILLY
No, you dont understand, Ill come and
see you every time I come back Miss.
MRS Wilkinson
Heres a piece of advice Billy. Piss off
out of here. Start everything afresh
and dont look back. Theres sod all
left for you here. You are very fucking
special. Now piss off before I start to
cry.
OK

BILLY

MRS Wilkinson
And good luck, Billy.
BILLY
Good luck as well Miss
MRS Wilkinson
Yeah, thanks, Billy.
Mrs Wilkinson exits.

| 25

Jackie Elliot goes to Mrs. Wilkinsons

house to ask questions about Billys
audition
Script excerpt for activity on Page 20 of the Study Guide
Scene 4: Dads debate
The scene turns to Mrs.
Wilkinsons front door.
Dad hesitantly rings the
doorbell. After waiting
a few moments, he begins
to walk away. As he
goes, Mr. Wilkinson
opens the door.
Mr wilkinson (Kevin)
What do you want.
DAD
I was hoping to talk to Mrs Wilkinson.
Mr wILKINSON
Sandra. A friend of yours.
Oh hello.

Mrs Wilkinson

DaD
How much is it gonna cost then.
MRS Wilkinson
And a merry xmas to you too.
DaD
Ive just been doing a lot of thinking
Mrs Wilkinson
It must have come as a shock to the
system.
Mam!

DebbiE

MRS Wilkinson
Piss off Debbie, will ya.
DaD
I know I shouldnt have come.

26 |

MrS WILKSINSON
Not at all. Its Christmas time. Good
will to all men and all that. Look - why
dont you come in.
DAD
No. I just need to know - is he good
enough?
For what?

MRS Wilkinson

Dad
I dont know. For the school. For the
audition.
MRS Wilkinson
Well, well never know, will we. Maybe
hedve gotten in. Maybe hedve joined
the Ballet Rambert. Maybe hed end up on
the scrapheap, like everybody else. How
the hell do I know.
DAD
So theres nowt we can do then?
MRS Wilkinson
Wait! Actually, if we move fast we
could still get him to the auditions in
London.
DAD
So its not too late then?
No.

MRS Wilkinson

DAD
So how much will it cost. This ballet
school lark.
MRS Wilkinson
Maybe five grand a year. Plus living
expenses. Sometimes the local authority/
pay the tuition costs.
DAD
(cutting her off)
Five grand. I was talking about the
audition.
MRS Wilkinson
Its nothing. Its twenty quid or
something.
DAD
Five grand - we havent even got the
money for the bus fare to London.

| 27

MrS Wilkinson
If its just a question of the bus fare.
Mam!

DeBBIE

MRS Wilkinson
Piss off, Debbie, Im busy.
DaD
I dont want your money. I didnt come
here for charity. Hes my son, isnt he?
MRS Wilkinson
For Christs sake when are you going to
get over your pig ignorant working class
pride? Look, your son is gifted, hes
got a chance. What have you got to offer
him? Mining? This town has had it, its
finished. Youre fighting a battle that
was lost years ago. Im not the enemy Mr
Elliot; were all in this together. So
for gods sake just talk to me, let me
help.
DAD
I wanna thank you for everything youve
done for Billy. I really appreciate it.
Is that it.
Yup.

MRS Wilkinson
DAD

MrS Wilkinson
This is ridiculous. Why dont you come
inside...
DaD
No yer right - hes my responsibility.
Mam!

Debbie

MrS WILKSINSON
Sod ya then. See if I care.
MRS WILKINSON
exits back into
the house. Dad
is left alone
onstage.
DAD
Merry bloody Christmas.

28 |

References
Adam Aguirre Camp Broadway Director of Outreach
and Workshop Operations

Camp Broadway, LLC

www.campbroadway.com <http://www.campbroadway.com>
212.575.2929

The Miners Strike 1984-5: Loss Without Limit

Martin Adeney and John Lloyd

Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd
ISBN 0-7102-0694-1
The Peoples Party The History of the Labour Party

Stephen Daldry (2000)

Universal Pictures DVD

Tony Wright and Matt Carter

Thames and Hudson Ltd
ISBN 0-500-01768-9

www.billyelliotthemusical.com

The Downing Street Years

www.billyelliot.com

Margaret Thatcher
Harper Collins
ISBN 0-00-255049-0

Billy Elliot

www.dancebooks.net
General

www.londondance.com
Dance in London

www.dramabookshop.com
www.wikipedia.com online encyclopaedia

The Miners Strike

The Enemies Within The Story of the Miners Strike
1984-85

Ian MacGregor
William Collins, Sons & Co. Ltd
ISBN 0-00-217706-4

Credits
Written by Mark Palmer

Writers/Contributors

Head of Drama, Mill Chase Community Technology College,

Borden, Hampshire

John Shorter Camp Broadway Educational Consultant: John

Shorter is Past President of the New York State Theatre Education
Association (NYSTEA). For over 25 years, he was Secondary
School Theater Arts Program Director and curriculum developer
at Manhasset High School a national school of excellence.
In the Fall of 2007, he received the Rod Marriott Lifetime
Achievement Award from NYSTEA for his contributions to
educational theatre.

Dance Material by Jenny Ware

Head of Dance, The Norwood School,

A Performing & Visual Arts Specialist College, London
Commissioned by Mousetrap Theatre Projects
Editor

Lisa Poelle CEO of Camp Broadway: Lisa Poelle has a masters

in Human Development and over 30 years in education, theatre,
corporate management, marketing, community affairs and family
education.

Adam Aguirre Director of Outreach and Workshop Operations:

Adam Aguirre is a graduate of Georgetown University with a
degree in Government, Theatre, and Philosophy.
Designer

Kathleen Giarrano Principal/Art Director at Giarrano Design

where she specializes in intuitive design solutions for print, web +
illustration. www.giarranodesigncom.

| 29