Liverpool schoolboy to be Empire's Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot the Musical opens at the Liverpool Empire this week - with a local lad in the starring role. Fourteen-year-old Adam Abbou is one of four boys playing Billy on the show's national tour. Adam trains at Dance Dynamix in Old Swan.  He has competed in various regional and national dance championships, and is no stranger to the Empire stage, previously appearing there as Jerome in South Pacific and Nibs in Peter Pan.With a score by Elton John, Billy Elliot the Musical has been an international  success, being seen by more 11 million people across five continents and winning more than 80 awards including ten Tonys and five Oliviers. Set in a northern mining town against the background of the 1984 miners’ strike, Billy’s journey takes him out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever. The show is on at the Empire from May 10 to 27.