Meet Billy Elliot: Charlie Garton
MEET ACTOR CHARLIE GARTON — Starring as Billy Elliot
Age: 10
Age started dancing: 7
Hometown: San Diego, CA
What’s your favorite thing about Billy?
My favorite thing about Billy is that he loves to dance and has a big imagination. I admire that he stayed true to his passion, even under extreme pressure from his family and society. I love playing him as I get to express so many feelings and I can dance, act, and sing all at the same time.
What do you find most challenging about working on this production?
We’ve worked really hard and prepared for months to get here and I have met so many new people and I look forward to rehearsing with them every day. What I find most challenging is trying to remember everything as there is so much to learn and as I’m in almost every scene there is no room for forgetting or not working hard.
What’s your favorite number in Billy Elliot?
My favorite number is “Electricity ” because it expresses exactly who I am when I dance. It defines my feelings about dance, and the passion I have once I’m on stage.
Your family originally hails from England, how does that inspire your performance as Billy?
My family have English accents from Manchester and Liverpool, so maybe that helped me learn the Geordie ( Newcastle) accent quicker. My mom and dad came from similar working-class backgrounds like Billy Elliot and had the same type of upbringing and share the same sense of humor. My nana used to say my mum was the female Billy Elliot as she also was in a similar situation as Billy and left home to go to a ballet school in London.
