Reuters

Billy Elliot brings the curtain down

Updated 11.44 Tue May 13 2008

Keywords: Jamie Bell, Billy Elliot, Stephen Daldrey

Billy Elliot the Musical celebrated its third birthday by bringing the curtain down - in the middle of the show.

Forty minutes into the performance, production staff walked on stage and apologised to the audience for the technical glitch.

The musical, based on the hit film starring Jamie Bell, has been seen by more than two million people in the UK and Australia

But the performance finished to a standing ovation.

Beforehand, director Stephen Daldrey appeared on stage to give a personal welcome to the sell-out crowd and to thank the cast and production crew.

And as the curtain came down - this time as planned, after the second half - he presented the singers and dancers at London's Victoria Palace Theatre with a giant birthday cake.

The musical, based on the hit film starring Jamie Bell, has been seen by more than two million people in the UK and Australia.

In the autumn, the show goes to Broadway, and Daldrey admitted he is nervous about how it would be received in the US.

Audiences have flocked to see the show, which follows the dancing dreams of young Billy against the backdrop of the miners strike in a village in County Durham during the 1980s.