| Oliver Taylor | |
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Oliver Taylor, Billy Elliot, 2007 |
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| Born | 10 March 1994 Torquay, Devon, UK |
Oliver (Olly) Taylor is an English stage actor and dancer, best known for playing the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London.
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Taylor was born in Torbay District Hospital on the 10 March 1994. Oliver attended Tower House School Junior School and then, after a successful eleven plus exam, Churston Ferrers Grammar School. He has lived with his parents and older sister in Paignton, Devon since birth.
Taylor began dancing at the age of 3 when his sister's dance teacher invited him to join in. He attends the Buckingham Dance Studios in Paignton. In 2006, Oliver won the Fonteyn Nureyev Young Dancers Competition (Junior level) run by the Royal Academy of Dance and was awarded the Young Dancer of the Year title.
He has performed in a few theatre productions near where he live. He played the part of the Boy in The Snowman, the Nutcracker in The Nutcracker, and Franz in Coppélia. He was featured in Ready Steady Cook (2006) and took part in a children's BBC programme Take a Bow (2007).
Taylor successfully auditioned for Billy Elliot the Musical in September 2006. After training since January 2007, he gave his first performance on Monday, 18 June 2007. On 1 December 2007, the company official bade farewell to Taylor along with Ryan Longbottom, who played Michael and Leigh Laurie, who played Debbie. Oliver's 50th and final performance was 15 December 2007.
After finishing his run as Billy, Oliver resumed his training at the Buckingham Dance Studios along with taking lessons as a mid associate of the Royal Ballet. He entered the 2nd Fonteyn Nureyev Young Dancers Competition (Senior level) and in February, 2008 became a winner of Wales & South West England (Including Channel Islands) heat. On 13 April 2008 he competed in the Final of the Competition that took place at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London. On 24 February 2008 he was featured (along with four other performers of Billy Elliot role) in BBC's show "Happy Birthday Brucie!" devoted to Bruce Forsyth's 80th birthday.
Oliver has also performed in a few theatre productions in Torquay. On 7 November 2008 hе performed the role of Prince Albrecht in the production of Giselle prepared by the Buckingham Dance Studios and shown at the Princess Theatre. Another lead role was performed by him in the show “The Prince and the Pauper” at Babbacombe Theatre on 21 November 2009. In the show “Old Tyme Music Hall” that took place in summer 2009 at the Princess Theather Oliver performed Nijinsky’s Fire Bird Ballet Solo. On 27 November 2010 he was a leading dancer in “A Beatles Ballet” produced by the Buckingham Dance Studio.
Since September 2010 Oliver Taylor continues his education as an A-level student at Churston Ferrers Grammar School.