Grainy black and white newsreel celebrates the nationalisation of the British coal industry. The footage then moves to Margaret Thatcher spruiking her “expenditure policy”, which saw her conservative government tackling the power of the unions and ruthlessly widening inequality in Britain. Later the ‘Iron Lady’ would famously say “there is no such thing as society”.

The news footage sets the scene for Billy Elliot The Musical, which is located in the north-east of England during the bitter miner’s strike of 1984 – 85. Based on the hit 2000 film, written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry, the musical – which was also directed by Daldry, and features book and lyrics by Hall with music by Elton John – tells the story of a 12-year old miner’s son who stumbles across a ballet class when he is supposed to be learning boxing, and dares to dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer despite financial hardship and the outright refusal of his disgusted father and brother.

Kelley Abbey and Jamie Rogers in Billy Elliot The Musical. Photograph © James M. Morgan

While Billy’s dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson hopes for a better...