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'Billy Elliot: The Musical' resonates with Korean audiences in era of AI revolution, social isolation

Published: 14 Apr. 2026, 15:01 Updated: 14 Apr. 2026, 15:28

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Actors perform on stage during the 2021 round of ″Billy Elliot: The Musical″ [SEENSEE COMPANY]

More than two decades after its release, “Billy Elliot” (2000) is finding renewed resonance in a world once again grappling with labor disruption and social fragmentation through a new musical production that opened last week in Korea.

“This is a story about community at a time when people feel increasingly isolated,” said Stephen Daldry, director of both the original film and the musical, during a group interview with Korean media at a cafe in central Seoul on Monday. “It celebrates Billy, but it is also a lament for a way of life that’s disappearing.”

That sense of loss, once tied to the collapse of Britain’s coal mining industry, now echoes in a new context shaped by AI and rapid technological change. In both the film and the musical, Billy’s family is caught in the miners’ strike — a struggle defined by resistance, solidarity and the fear of being left behind as entire industries vanish.

“I think we’re only on the foothills of a revolution,” Daldry said. “The world is going to change radically in the next five years, and not necessarily for the better — there will be big winners and big losers. In my own industry, thousands of jobs in animation and visual effects could disappear within two years.”

At the cusp of that shift, Daldry said, the story’s focus on community feels even more urgent, as technological change deepens isolation while driving a renewed desire for shared human experiences.

Stephen Daldry, director of the original 2000 film ″Billy Elliot″ and producer for the musical production of the same film, poses for a photo during promotional events for ″Billy Elliot: The Musical″ in Korea. [SEENSEE COMPANY]

“Theater, concerts and dance have never been more popular because they bring people together,” he said. “That collective experience is becoming more powerful and more necessary. People experience things alone now, but precisely because of that, the desire to gather and share something live is incredibly strong.”

At the preview show on Sunday of “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” Daldry also addressed the audience with a message that “this unique experience of people gathering in one place to share the experience of watching a show together will never be replaced.” When asked how he saw the preview show of the musical, Daldry was unequivocal in his praise, especially for the Korean cast.

“Oh I loved it, I really did,” Daldry said. “I haven’t seen the musical for many years, so it was quite an emotional experience seeing it again after such a long time. The Korean actors were fantastic — it’s a very demanding show, but everything felt incredibly precise, especially in the choreography, and at the same time very heartfelt and emotional.”

Daldry singled out child actor Kim Seung-ju, who played Billy in the preview show, as “pitch-perfect.”

Actors practice during a rehearsal for the 2026 round of ″Billy Elliot: The Musical.″ [SEENSEE COMPANY]

“It is an incredibly difficult role — you need to sing, tap dance, do ballet at a very high level, and carry the entire show while barely leaving the stage,” said Daldry. “I thought he did it brilliantly. It’s one of the hardest roles to perform, and he handled it exceptionally.”

Daldry expects that the story of Billy Elliot will resonate particularly with Korean audiences since Korea has a history of rapid industrialization and social change, themes that are dealt with deeply in the story.

“What I know about Korea is that you’ve gone through phenomenally fast industrialization,” he said. “That process creates moments where entire parts of the workforce suddenly become redundant, as one industry disappears before another arrives. That sense of community being disrupted or lost has a real resonance with the story.”

That sense of disruption lies at the heart of the original story, which is rooted in the decline of Britain’s coal mining industry during the 1980s.

Actor Joo Hyun-jun, who played the titular Billy in the 2021 round of ″Billy Elliot: The Musical,″ is seen on stage during a performance in 2021. [SEENSEE COMPANY]

“The story is about the miners’ strike — the last of the strong trade unions in Britain,” Daldry said. “After that, we moved into a post-industrial economy. We dismantled manufacturing and destroyed the coal industry, and those communities were effectively erased.”

For Daldry, the tragedy was not the disappearance of the industry itself, but what followed.

“Nobody thinks coal mining is a good job or that burning coal is a good idea,” he said. “But the communities built around it were dismissed and forgotten. Those once-proud places are now among the most deprived areas in Europe.”

The musical adaptation, Daldry added, was an attempt to expand that perspective beyond Billy as an individual protagonist to the collective experience of the community around him.

Stephen Daldry, center, director of the original 2000 film ″Billy Elliot″ and producer for the musical production of the same film, is seen during promotional events for ″Billy Elliot: The Musical″ in Korea. [SEENSEE COMPANY]

“We wanted to tell not just Billy’s story, but the story of the whole community,” Daldry said. “That was one of the key aims of the musical — to broaden the narrative. In that sense, I think the stage version is more successful than the film.”

This shift is reflected most clearly in the ending, which diverges in tone from a straightforward narrative of triumph. While Billy leaves for London to pursue ballet, the fate of his hometown remains unresolved.

“It’s a bittersweet ending,” Daldry said. “The boy gets the opportunity to go to the Royal Ballet School, but the community is facing destruction. The miners descending at the end feels like a lament — almost as if they’re going into their metaphorical graves.”

The story’s emotional weight, he said, comes from that duality of individual success set against collective loss.

“What I find most emotional is watching a whole way of life coming to an end,” he said. “And the people in it know it’s ending. There’s a kind of awareness of their own mortality as a community, and that’s incredibly heartbreaking.”

Even after decades, Daldry believes the story continues to evolve in meaning, shaped by the context in which it is performed — and by the performers themselves.

“The reason to see it here in Seoul is this cast,” he said. “They are truly world-class. What I saw on Sunday, especially from the young actor playing Billy, felt almost miraculous.”

“Billy Elliot: The Musical” runs through July 26 at Blue Square Woori WON Banking Hall in Yongsan District, central Seoul. Running time is 175 minutes with a 20 minute intermission. Tickets can be purchased on Interpark.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]

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'Billy Elliot: The Musical' resonates with Korean audiences in era of AI revolution, social isolation

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