Kilmessan singing star Killian Donnelly is to join the West End cast of 'Billy Elliot The Musical' as Billy's brother Tony, from 12th November.

Killian recently completed a year-long stint as Raoul in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera. His previous theatre credits include the title role in Michael Collins for Cork Opera House and the 25th Anniversary concerts for both The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall and Les Miserables at the O2 Arena. Earlier this year, he wrapped production on Tom Hooper's feature film version of Les Miserables, in which he will play Combeferre.

Billy Elliot , running since 2005, is based on the script and lyrics by Lee Hall, with music by Elton John. It tells the story of a boy from a humble Tyneside background, whose mother is dead, and whose father and brother are caught up in the bitterly fought community-splitting miner's strike of 1984. Billy's father wants his son to learn to box, like him and his father before him. But instead Billy becomes fascinated by the grace and magic of ballet. Billy Elliot is about Billy's gritty and determined struggle, at first in secret, but then with the wholehearted backing of his family, to dance his way to the brightest of futures by winning a place at the Royal Ballet School.