Author’s Note: As of December 1, 2009, the most current profile for Ollie Gardner can be found in the new article “Billy Elliot the Musical: Meet the Billys -- London’s West End”.  The most current profile for Alex Ko can be found in the new article “Billy Elliot the Musical: Meet the Billys -- Broadway”. To access those articles, click on “more articles” in the Billy Elliot the Musical section in the right sidebar of this page.

This series of articles has been introducing you to the eight boys (four each in London and in New York City) who currently play the title role in the hit West End and Broadway show Billy Elliot the Musical.  We have also profiled two boys who were just leaving the show (at the beginning of publication of this series) after year long, successful stints in the role. In this segment, meet Oliver Gardner, who is performing the role at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London and Alex Ko, who appears as Billy at the Imperial Theater in NYC. To read other profiles in the series, click on “more articles” in the “Billy Elliot the Musical” section located in the right side bar of this page.

 Oliver Gardner

The newest member of the Billy rotation in London’s West End is 12 year old Oliver Gardner – affectionately known to family, friends and fans as Ollie.

Like all the boys who have played the role, the Saltford (near Bath, England) lad started dance at an early age. From the age of five, Ollie began accompanying his sister to her dance classes at the Dorothy Coleborn School of Dancing, in Bath, because his mother was a piano accompanist there.

His first dance teacher, Annette Hind, who is the owner of the school, recalls: “Ollie would come and watch his sister’s dance classes because his mum was playing the piano and he would hide behind the piano because he was shy. I thought that because his sister was so good and because he came from such a musical family, that he must be good too. Eventually we persuaded him to join and it became clear very, very quickly that he was going to be a star.”  Ollie learned ballet, tap and modern dance at the school and in five years, at the age of nine, he became a Junior Associate at the Royal Ballet School and then, later, a Mid Associate there.

He auditioned for Billy Elliot in April of 2008, was offered the role, and completed the rigorous “Billy School” in record time. The average training time for the role is 18 months.

Ollie’s debut as Billy, on May 12, 2009, was anything but ordinary. On his opening night, the show celebrated its fourth birthday and 1,700th show at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London. His family, friends and teachers were all in the sold out house to see him finally dance the part that he had been dreaming about for years.When interviewed after the performance he said: “When I came off the stage I felt relieved. I was glad that finally all the training had paid off and that I had finally done it. I’m just really happy. I have always wanted to be Billy. Before I went on I was a bit nervous, but more excited.”

In this video from the show’s “We Are Billy Elliot” series, Ollie talks about what it’s like to play Billy:

Ollie, Jake Pratt (who plays Michael, Billy’s best friend in the show) and Joe Caffrey (Billy’s dad in the musical) were interviewed by WhatsOnStage (WOS) TV in June of 2009:

In July, on a short break from the show, Ollie was able to pay a visit to his school – Kingswood School in Bath. One person who was particularly pleased to see him was his best friend Toby Douglas-Bate, who said: “It was amazing to see Ollie again. It was the strangest thing in the world because he is my best friend and he is still the same even though he is a star!”

This personable young man, this dynamo on stage, from all accounts has gotten over his shyness. As he is at a relatively young age in the role, his many fans hope that Ollie will be showcasing his considerable talents as Billy for many performances to come.

Says Ollie’s first dance teacher, Annette Hind, “He was destined to play that part. That was what he said he always wanted to do. When he was having his ballet lessons it was always his goal to dance professionally. I can’t tell you how proud I am. It almost brings tears to my eyes because I know he is going to have such a fantastic career.”

For more information about Ollie Gardner:

Visit the official Billy Elliot the Musical -- West End website,  Billy Elliot the Forum  and  Friends of  Billy Elliot

Alex Ko

Broadway’s newest Billy (and, in fact, the most recent boy to debut in the role anywhere in the world), 13 year old Nicholas Alexander Ko  (who goes by Alex because his Dad liked the sound of that name better), has been dancing since he was a five year old kindergartener.

Born on February 3, 1996, the Iowa City, Iowa boy began his local dance training at the National Academy of Dance and Nolte Academy and gymnastics at the Iowa Gym-nest. Ko later registered for the Dance Forum, the University of Iowa’s community outreach program.

He later enrolled in the University’s Advanced Ballet Class, which is a class normally full of college-aged students. He is the youngest ever to be accepted to that program. He was a soloist in the UI Youth Ballet’s “Swan Lake” and “Nutcracker” productions, and was featured in a youth ensemble of the UI Dance Gala.

In 2007, Alex began taking private ballet lessons from UI Assistant Professor of Ballet & Choreography, Eloy Barragan, whom Alex now considers a mentor.  Barragan soon realized that his new student possessed star potential. “Iowa City has a lot of talent, young talent”, he said. “But Alex has something very unique, he has maturity and dedication and is committed to what he wants…. Alex has something really special. There’s a soul to his dance and that is what people notice.”

The close relationship that developed between the two led Alex to ask Barragan to create a solo in memory of his father, Sam, who had recently died of cancer. The result can be seen in this brief video:

In 2008, instructor and protege traveled to New York City where Alex participated in a 10-day dance instruction program at the prestigious Steps on Broadway. As fate would have it, one of Alex’s teachers there, Peter O’Brien, brought Alex to the attention of the Steps on Broadway director.  The director offered Alex a full scholarship to study at the school’s six-week summer intensive in July and August. With that scholarship to Steps on Broadway came vocal lessons and training with one of the choreographers from Billy Elliot The Musical. He was subsequently invited to audition for the musical, which he did in October, while the show was still in previews before it’s official Broadway opening on November 13th.

Alex was accepted into the “Billy School” in NYC, where he began the intense training program that all Billys go through on their way to playing the role. The culmination of that training was his debut in the show on October 6, 2009, as the replacement for departed original Broadway Billy, Kiril Kulish. The creative team behind the musical is committed to diversity in the cast and Alex becomes the second boy with an Asian heritage to play the role of Billy (the other being Matthew Koon who was in the London production).

Just three weeks into playing Billy, Alex is already receiving rave reviews from many repeat theater-goers of Billy Elliot the Musical who have seen all the current Broadway crop of Billys. One such critic said “I think it’s very, VERY clear, we don’t just have a new Billy, we have a new star on our hands!!!”

Picture at right: Cast Board in Imperial Theater Lobby on Alex Ko’s Opening Night

For more information on Alex Ko:

Visit his website, Wikipedia,  Billy Elliot the Forum and  Friends of Billy Elliot

Series Epilogue

May 12, 2008 — Broadway Meets the West End: On the Occasion of the 3rd Birthday of Billy Elliot the Musical in London, Director Stephen Daldry Enjoys Cake With the Three Billys in the West End Production and the Three Boys Who Would Soon Be Originating the Role on Broadway (L-R Trent Kowalik, Layton Williams, Kiril Kulish, Corey Snide, Daldry, Josh Fedrick, and David Alvarez)