Townsville Choral Society director Cat Edwards talks upcoming Billy Elliot the Musical

The beloved lead role has been cast and the director is ready, see all the behind the scenes details of Townsville’s next showing of Billy Elliot the Musical.

Jonas de Hoog, 13, plays the leading role in the Townsville Choral Society's production of Billy Elliott. Picture: Evan Morgan

Having grown up in Lancaster with stories from the devastating coal mining strike of 1984-5 still resonating, being asked to direct Billy Elliott the Musical was an opportunity not to be missed for first-time Townsville Choral Society director Cat Edwards.

When the production opens on January 16 it will also be the third anniversary since the Southern Cross College drama teacher moved to the city with her Australian husband.

“I was born in Wigan in the north of England, in Lancashire, surrounded by coal mining villages and towns - it’s a working class town that I’m from.

“I grew up in the aftermath of the miners strike. What I learned really from growing up there is the huge north south divide in the UK.

“A lot of it comes from the poverty that the miners’ strike attributed and so everything that Maggie Thatcher did, really did hurt the communities up north.”

Having seen both the film and the London West End musical with music by Elton John of Billy Elliott the one aspect she loves is the sense of unity the central story evokes.

“One thing that I love about this show, and the one thing I stress with cast, is the solidarity in the face of adversity.

“The communities in the north of England are tight knit, and everybody helps each other.

Cat Edwards is directing the Townsville Choral Society's production of Billy Elliott. Picture: Evan Morgan

“There’s a real sense of community in where I grew up, in the north of England, and that’s what we try and show in the in our production of Billy Elliot, is that solidarity.

“The hurt in the north of England is still there. There is still families that don’t speak to each other since some miners broke the picket line and went back to work. The scabs, and the ones that held out until all was lost.

“There are still those families that were torn apart by this.

“That’s one of the things that is hugely important in the backdrop of the transformation of Billy, is this idea of community and the community spirit and the loyalty and the betrayal that did exist, does exist in the north of England, and hopefully we see that in the show.”

When Edwards did see the film for the first time she was also left empowered by the transformation of the central character.

“It’s just a joyous, powerful, inspiring story. You watch this boy accidentally find something that he loves and he’s passionate about with a family of all men.

“He’s lost his mother, so he’s lost that maternal link, and so he’s surrounded by these alpha male traditional values men.

“Yet he finds something that he loves that goes against everything that he’s surrounded by in this family.

“When I watched the film and when I watched the West End Show in London, you go on this journey with this young boy who finds this unexpected talent. The audience - you just root for him.”

Jonas de Hoog, 13, plays the leading role in the Townsville Choral Society's production of Billy Elliott. Picture: Evan Morgan

It is one of the rare musicals where the film came first – released in 2000.

“Elton John got his hands on the music and I think you can really hear Elton John in the incredible score that we’ve got and the songs, it’s fantastic.

“I actually think the musical gives you more in terms of the emotion and the feeling. I don’t think anything can beat live theatre in terms of taking the audience on a journey with this young man, with his family, with the whole community.

“It’s a roller coaster, really, of emotions that you will go on over two and a half hours in the theatre.”

Edwards is full of praise for thirteen-year-old Jonas de Hoog who was cast as Billy Elliott.

“You will be in awe of Jonas de Hoog, who is honestly incredible when he came in for his audition.

“I’ll be honest, I’m new to Townsville, so didn’t know who was going to come in the room.

“So when we had our Billy Elliott auditions, I was nervous and so excited to see what talent we had in Townsville.

“When this young man walked in, I have never seen someone so prepared and someone so driven, and my jaw dropped.

“He is truly a star and one thing I cannot wait for in January is for Townsville to see this young man absolutely shine on stage.

“He’s so humble, and he’s so such a wonderful team player within the whole company, he is an absolute star.”

The young performer was practising piano with his church band when he got the call from the director that he had landed the part of Billy Elliott and he just screamed with joy.

Jonas de Hoog, 13, with director Cat Edwards, plays the leading role in the Townsville Choral Society's production of Billy Elliott. Picture: Evan Morgan

“I thought that I was going to be too old to be able to do it. So very happy that I managed to get in somehow,” de Hoog said.

He has been wanting to play the part of Billy Elliott since he performed a song from the show, ‘Electricity’ at the Townsville Eisteddfod three years ago.

“I really thought the show (Billy Elliott) was really cool because it’s one of the only shows that has a young boy dancing.

“It’s perfect for me because I have a big dancing background and when they (Townsville Choral Society) said that they were doing it in Townsville I was like - I have to audition for this.”

He first started dancing aged seven at the Ann Roberts School of Dance.

“I started Highland, and then the next year, I did ballet and contemporary, and then from then on, just sort of snowballed.”

But his biggest thrill on stage will be performing with members of his family, two sisters, an older brother and his mum, who have also been cast in the show.

“I think it’s one of those things. This is my second show of the Choral Society, but the rest of my family, it’s their first show.

“Just for all of them to get in is just incredible. I think it’s a bucket list thing to do a show with almost all your family.”

The show runs at the Townsville Civic Theatre from January 16 to 25, click here to purchase tickets. 

Originally published as Townsville Choral Society director Cat Edwards talks upcoming Billy Elliot the Musical