Billy Elliot is director Stephen Daldry's debut film. Before getting enlisted to direct the intimate portrait of a young boy and his artistic passion, Daldry had worked mainly on the stage. As a result, when producers had the idea to turn the hit film into a musical, Daldry was perfectly suited to bring his cinematic work to the stage.
Five years after the release of the film, the musical adaptation opened in the West End in London in May 2005. Both Daldry and the film's choreographer, Peter Darling, were brought along for the stage version. Lee Hall, the screenwriter, wrote the book and lyrics, and acclaimed British rock musician and composer, Elton John, wrote the music. The musical received excellent reviews and transferred to Broadway three years later in 2008.
On Broadway, the musical continued to receive praise, with New York Times critic Ben Brantley writing, "This show makes sure that we always keep in mind the grittiness and despair of the society that produced Billy, so that the poetry of his dancing seems all the more startling and inexplicable." Many other critics praised the film for adapting both the grittiness and the excitement of the original film into a wholly unique theatrical experience.
