Young Bradley is West End hit in Billy

But Bradley is certainly not slacking as his absence is due to landing a lead role in the hit West End musical Billy Elliot.

Bradley, from Thorpe Hesley, went through months of auditions and beat off thousands of youngsters from around the UK to land the part of Billy’s best friend, Michael, and make his West End debut.

Now he is splitting his time between performing four shows a week at the Victoria Palace in London, and travelling back to attend lessons at Winterhill School.

Proud dad Andrew Mayfield (38) said his son went through 18 months of auditions and recalls for the musical before landing the role.

“They gave us the nod in May that he was going to get the part of Michael and he moved to London on July 12,” said Andrew.

Bradley made his West End debut on September 12 which Andrew described as “brilliant”.

“My wife and his dance teacher Sharon Berry were both in tears,” he said.

“He is on stage for quite a lot of the time and has a tap dance to perform and a solo.”

As if that was not enough to handle, Bradley has also had dialect lessons to perfect the Geordie accent which he carries throughout the show.

Bradley could be starring in the production Billy Elliot the Musical, which has been running and selling out for 11 years, for up to two years.

The 11-year-old now shares a house in west London with his fellow young West End stars, who are all taking on lead roles in the show.

“There are three Michaels, three Debbies and four Billys,” said Andrew.

“At any one time there is a Michael on stage and one backstage, while the third goes back home to their parents.”

Bradley travels to Rotherham with his chaperone and stays at home three nights a week.

He may have only made one full day of school, so far, but his days in London start with private tutoring from 9am to noon.

Then it is on to body conditioning, pilates and tap classes.

“If he’s not on call he can get back into the house at 8.30pm, so it’s long days,” said Andrew.

Despitre the show’s high profile, computer repair man Andrew said Bradley was taking it all in his stride.

“He takes every day as it comes. He doesn’t really talk about it when he’s at home and just enjoys being at school,” he said.

“When he’s in London he’s scared of missing something at home, and vice versa.”

Andrew said a family friend who is a casting agent suggested Bradley get into performing after seeing him doing karaoke.

An open audition was being held for Oliver in Sheffield in 2013 and Bradley attended.

Despite not having any performing experience, the then nine-year-old landed a role as one of Fagan’s gang in the Sheffield Crucible show.