A private school teacher is swapping the classroom for the stage as Footlight Productions’ Billy Elliot comes to Geelong this month.
Kardinia International teacher Ian Nash-Gilchrist will take on the role of miner Mr Braithwaite, who leads a second life as a piano player.
Mr Nash-Gilchrist’s character helps ballet schoolteacher Mrs Wilkinson (Sophie Collins) teach Billy Elliot (Sebastian and Luka Sero), a young boy who decides to swap his boxing gloves for ballet shoes to make his dreams come true.
“Mr Braithwaite was just destined to become a miner but kept up his music by playing piano and playing in the pub band,” he said.
“He’s a frustrated dancer at heart and thinks that back in the day he might have been someone potentially himself, but being the time of decade that it was, there was no chance.”
Mr Nash-Gilchrist said the musical highlighted themes like the struggle between a government and its community and the representation of unions.
“I’d encourage people to come along and see the show. It’s got a lot of positive reinforcement like allowing you to express yourself as who you are and being true to yourself,” he said.
“History tells us that many people were affected by the mines closing down and it was a huge period of upheaval for these mining communities, and it still happens today in certain spots of the world.”
Elements of Mr Nash-Gilchrist’s personal life also come into play throughout the musical, with his 14-year-old son Jasper participating with the show’s props team.
Kardinia International College’s brand-new student-led art club also helped build the manufactured puppet mask that features in the second act.
Billy Elliot will be at Geelong Arts Centre’s Playhouse Theatre between January 17 to February 2.
