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    Meet Billy Elliot: Jesper Leporanta

    Note:  Jesper Leporanta’s final show as Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical (BETM) in Sandnes, Norway was on Feb 11, 2018.

    Debut: January 24, 2018 (Sandnes, Norway)

    Total Performances as Billy:  11  (No partial shows) 

    Jesper Leporanta was 14 years old (D.O.B. = 4-Aug-2003) when he debuted as Billy Elliot at the Sandnes Kulturhus in Sandnes, Norway.  Jesper is from Årvoll in Oslo, and he is a student at Årvoll School.  His hobbies include singing, dancing, theatre and running.

    Jesper has previously performed in many theatre productions in Oslo:

    • ‘Teacup’ in Beauty and the Beast at the Christiania Theatre (2014)
    • ‘Tor’ in Julestemning, which is a Christmas show, at the Oslo Concert Hall (2015 and 2016)
    • ‘Young Cosmo’ in Singin’ in the Rain at Folketeateret (2016)
    • And was a cast member in Les Miserables at Folketeateret (2017)
    Jesper Leporanta (right) as Young Cosmo in Singin’ in the Rain

    In the Norwegian dubbed version of the 2017 film Beauty and the Beast Jesper voiced the Beast as a child.  He can be heard singing at the start of this song:

    Credit: Video by Vevo

    After auditioning for the role of Billy, Jesper was chosen as one of six boys to train at the newly founded Billy Elliot School in Oslo.  After almost a year of training, he was cast as one of two boys who would share the role of Billy.

    Four months before the show opened, Jesper moved to Sandnes.  His father came with him, leaving the rest of his family behind in Oslo.  While in Sandnes, Jesper attended school during the day and went to dance classes and rehearsals in the evenings.  Jesper thinks he is lucky to have this opportunity.  “It’s a bit special … It’s not everyone who gets the chance to move from home to play plays,” he says. 

    Jesper relates to dance in the same way that Billy does.  He says, “I feel very free when I move to the music.”  He is a short clip of him rehearsing Dream Ballet with Older Billy:

    vimeo.com/250596691

    Credit: Video by Sandnes Kulturhus

    Jesper is looking forward to performing on stage again.  He says, “It’s a magic atmosphere when you stand on stage and sing, and the whole hall fills up.”

    Jesper Leporanta (right) practises dance with alongside the other Billy, Eric Backstrøm (left)

    Jesper’s debut performance as Billy Elliot at the opening night performance of BETM in Sandnes on 24-Jan-2018 makes him the 235th actor worldwide to play the role in a professional, regional or community theatre production of the musical.

    Jesper Leporanta is Billy Elliot

    For more information about Jesper visit:

    Billy Elliot the Forum

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