Becoming Billy, Lucas Johnson on Discipline, Dreaming, and Finding His Voice

At the heart of BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL is a young person learning how to listen to his instincts in a world that keeps telling him who he should be. It is a story about courage, self belief, and the quiet strength it takes to chase a dream that does not fit neatly into expectation.

For Lucas Johnson, stepping into the role of Billy has meant far more than learning choreography and lines. It has been a deep dive into discipline, emotional honesty, and the balancing act of being a teenager with school commitments, family life, and a demanding rehearsal schedule. Still early in his high school journey, Lucas brings a thoughtful self awareness to Billy’s struggles, alongside an infectious enthusiasm for storytelling through movement, music, and character.

When did you first hear about auditions for BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, and what was the moment you thought, “I have to go for this role”?

My mum showed me the audition form and, in my mind, I was like, “I feel like this role is for me,” as I am very similar to Billy in many ways. Before the show, my dancing skills were nowhere near as developed as they are now. The incredible choreographers at Koorliny, Kate and Hannah have taught me how to dance in tap, ballet and a few other moves!

Billy has to juggle school, family pressure, and a huge dream. What parts of Billy feel most familiar to you, and what parts feel totally new?

Like Billy, I have a huge dream, not to become a famous ballet dancer, but to become a screen actor, in blockbuster films and TV shows. I also have a lot of school stuff that I have to juggle, especially as it is my first year of high school this year. Something that feels totally new to is the family pressure. My family is very supportive of me whatever I do so I have to adjust to Billy’s family situation.

What has your training week looked like for this show, dance, singing, acting, fitness, rest, and recovery, and what has surprised you about the workload?

My schedule includes rehearsals three times per week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. On Mondays I arrive early and do my homework before we start, on Thursdays I get there at 6:30, after athletics training and Sundays are a full day from 11–4. I also try to practice on my own a little bit every day, wherever I am. That may be at home or in a big space like the school library. Dance is definitely the toughest part, so Kate and Hannah give me moves or turns to practice whenever I can. My recovery routine is stretching, swimming, watching a movie and going to bed early. The workload is heavy and I’m very busy, but I rest when I can and sometimes that means taking a little nap in the car! Luckily I enjoy everything I do, which makes my busy life so much easier.

Ballet asked for a different kind of discipline to most musical theatre. What has been the hardest technical skill to learn, and what has been the biggest breakthrough so far?

Two of the hardest skills for me to learn have been the attitude promenade and the double pirouette. The attitude promenade requires lots of hip flexibility; you need to stand on one leg, keep your lifted leg up and rotate around. It’s very hard on my glutes and hips. The other difficult skill is the double pirouette, which I need to perform a few times every show. It is the simple, not so simple, spin. It requires a lot of core strength and balance to stay on one foot while spinning, then finish it strong.

How do you stay focused and motivated on the days when you are tired, things are not clicking yet, or rehearsal feels tough?

When I’m feeling overwhelmed or tired, which is usually on the first day of learning a dance or song, I either tell the team, or they notice, and I have a quick brain break. During that break, I take a minute to reflect, calm down, have some water, and then go back in with a fresh brain. The break helps me process all the rehearsing and understand it better, giving me a better state of mind.

Billy’s story sits inside a big world, a mining town, conflict, and people doing it hard. How have you worked to understand the setting and the emotions around Billy, not just the steps and songs?

I watched the movie and stage play a couple of times to try and understand the setting for the whole musical and what Billy and his family were experiencing. Times were tough and Billy always seemed nervous and overwhelmed. In dance class, he is sometimes paranoid that his dad might discover him dancing and assumes his dad would react angrily as he always appears to be upset. Billy is trying to process everything that’s happening around him and thinking that his dream could end at any moment by his Dad or Tony. I can kind of understand how Billy feels because a long time ago it wasn’t okay for boys to dance, and if they did, they could get into a lot of trouble. It is getting better now, but even today not many boys dance, so it can still feel a bit nerve-wracking to be the only boy in a dancing group.

You have played roles like Marlin, SpongeBob, and Jojo. What skills from those characters have helped you most with Billy, and what did you have to “unlearn” to play him truthfully?

I think all of these roles have helped me in different aspects of this show. Playing Marlin helped me to understand emotions and being able to show them a lot better and playing SpongeBob helped me with my expressions and gestures. One thing I had to unlearn from other shows was that I had always been told to slightly face the audience, whether it be with my whole body or by just turning my head. In Billy, I need to face the person I’m talking to with my whole body, even if that means I’m facing the back of the stage for short periods of time. Sometimes when blocking a scene, I subconsciously face the front when I speak, but if I’m given a little reminder, then we get the scene back on track.

Billy is often brave on the outside but unsure on the inside. How do you show that mix on stage, especially in scenes where Billy cannot say exactly what he feels?

Body language and facial expressions help a lot with showing how Billy feels. The ones I use the most are keeping my head on a swivel and moving it quickly in scenes where I don’t want Dad to see me, and keeping my head low and covered when I’m scared or embarrassed. I think all body language, hand gestures and facial expressions help me portray Billy way better as a character. I always remind myself “I am Billy”, not I am “playing Billy”.

Your voice work includes festivals and singing with Schola Cantorum. How has that musical background shaped the way you approach Billy’s vocals, stamina, and storytelling through song?

My vocal background helps me a LOT when it comes to Billy, not just for singing nicely, but also for stamina. In addition to my rehearsals for this show, I am still singing with Schola five days a week. At the end of Electricity, after a long dance break, I need to go straight back into singing, and my stamina helps me keep my vocal quality even while out of breath. Another thing that my voice training has taught me is my dynamics, so when Billy is confident and proud, I can be strong and loud, and when he is a bit shy or not so certain, I am a bit quieter and softer. Singing is a big part of Billy’s character, not just the dancing, and so I think it’s equally as important that I am able to perform both.

What do you hope audiences feel about Billy by the end of the show, and what do you hope they learn about supporting young people who have big dreams that do not “fit the mould”?

I hope that by the end of Billy Elliot the audience (young or old, we’re all kids inside!) is inspired to light a spark and achieve their goals or to support others to accomplish theirs. Don’t worry what others think and if you want something, give it all you’ve got. Support others when you can and if somebody doesn’t support you, prove them wrong. Do whatever you have a passion for, no matter what gender, age or culture the stereotypical community expects. If you just be yourself, and keep working towards your goal, you just might achieve it, but you should feel proud of yourself just by being true to you. Be the next Billy.

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BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL

DATES: 20 – 28 March 2026
TIME: 1:00PM & 7:00PM
WHERE: Theatre 1, Koorliny Arts Centre
TICKETS: CLICK HERE