James Gaddas in Billy Elliot
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About the author: James Gaddas is currently playing Billy’s father, Jackie Elliot, in the West End production of the hugely successful musical, Billy Elliot. The Stockton-born actor is probably best known for his extended tenure as Neil Grayling in TV’s Bad Girls, but his list of stage credits is long, including Art, An Evening with Gary Lineker and A Chorus of Disapproval in London, The Messiah at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Who’s Out There for the Other Theatre Co., Hedda Gabler at the Bolton Octagon, Hamlet at the Sheffield Crucible, Romeo and Juliet at the Nuffield, Southampton and the RSC Season at Manchester's Royal Exchange, among others. By his own admission, Gaddas became an actor “by mistake.” A friend with whom he’d acted in plays at school assumed that the pair would both go to Billingham College to study drama. Instead, Gaddas wound up at a sixth form college. Ultimately, he felt so bad about the missed opportunity that he contacted Billingham College and ended up doing a two-year course there. He went on to study at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and eventually found himself on London’s stand-up comedy circuit, appearing at the Comedy Store alongside the likes of Paul Merton. He made a foray into politics in 2005, standing as Conservative Party candidate for Stockton South in the 2005 U.K. general election and won second place in the polls. But in the end, both comedy and politics would themselves take second place to his abiding love: drama. Here, Gaddas discusses the journey that led him to his role in Billy Elliot, and the resonance with his own life which he has found in it.
Occasionally as an actor, the opportunity arises to take on a role that resonates on a totally personal level. Billy Elliot’s dad, Jackie, is just such a role. Like most people, I had been totally captivated by the film version of Billy Elliot. Funny, poignant and hugely uplifting, it was a joy to watch. I wasn’t sure how it would translate into a musical, but with Stephen Daldry, Lee Hall, Elton John and Julian Webber on board, I’d have been surprised if it wasn’t a success.
In some ways, the stage version works even better than the film. The raw energy and staccato rhythm of the scenes set against the backdrop of the 1984 miner’s strike has a powerful sense of history combined with the deeply personal story of one family’s struggle, and one boy’s discovered talent. A talent that allows him to break free of the conventions of his upbringing, and along the way, frees those closest to him to also “move on”.
It’s never easy to join a show during its run. Even more so with Billy Elliot. A lot of the cast have been with the production since it started, helping to shape the storyline and scenes through intense workshops and character development. Being given the chance to follow Tim Healy and Phil Whitchurch into such a pivotal role was daunting and at the same time hugely flattering. Fortunately, the creative team involved were happy to give licence to explore the role from a different perspective, rather than simply copy previous incarnations.
I’ve gone into shows where it really was a case of, “Oh, X used to take a sip at that point, then walk to that chair, and let out an enormous sigh as he sat. No need to copy exactly, but… well… actually, if you could copy exactly…!” Not the most satisfying way to work!
James Gaddas and Dean McCarthy in Billy Elliot
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The newly joining cast members had an intensive seven weeks to rehearse. To my relief, I had very little of Peter Darling’s stupendous choreography to learn. Dad is to dancing what Herod was to childcare, and I escaped relatively lightly. Instead, working alongside Ryan McBride and Julian Webber, with Stephen Daldry overseeing, we explored the scenes. Played around with them. I was lucky to be joining at the same time as Dean McCarthy, the newest Billy at the time. It didn’t take long for Dean to become
my Billy.
It soon became apparent how well structured the journey they take is. From a maudlin, morose and authoritarian man, struggling to keep a family going during a yearlong strike, whilst pining for the loss of his wife, to the proud father, able to relate to his sons and appreciate life’s offerings, it offers so much to an actor.
And for me, it’s been a deeply cathartic experience. Back in 1978, I was one of two brothers and two sisters living in the Northeast. We had a typical working class background, with my mother raising the family and my dad working on building sites, firstly as a carpenter and ultimately a general foreman. In his spare time, dad was also a professional wrestler. I’d always expected to go into some similar line of work and settle in the local area. That changed through my English teacher at school, Mrs.Cramne. Through her I developed a love of theatre and performing, and when it came time to leave school, I knew I wanted to go on to study acting. My father was initially against the idea. He worried about unemployment, and the fact, as he put it, that “Kids from round here don’t wear pink shirts!”