User:BillyH/sandbox

Billy Hicks (born 24 September 1988) is a British actor and playwright, known for playing Prince Alfred in the BBC television serial Victoria & Albert.

Early life and career
Hicks was born in London, to a British mother and Irish father. His mother Verity Welch (born 1967) was a finalist at the 2002 Hackney Empire New Act of the Year comedy showcase. As a child he took after-school acting classes at Jacksons Lane in Highgate and the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, and sang at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000 as part of that year's Camden Music Festival.

His professional break into acting came during his time at Ravenscourt Theatre School aged 12, appearing in productions including Victoria & Albert, the BBC radio comedy Dave Podmore's Cricket Fix and alongside Rik Mayall in BBC Choice's Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement. He later became a member of the National Youth Theatre and studied drama at the City Lit adult educational college. After graduation roles included Launcelot Gobbo in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice at London's Courtyard Theatre, and Ophelia in a gender-swapped run of Hamlet at The Dell in Stratford-upon-Avon. He also appears in the 2012 film Booked Out as a swing-dancer.

His playwriting career began as a co-writer for the comedic play Popping Stars at the 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and developed further after forming the company All Terrain Theatre with producer and frequent collaborator Lucie Regan. His first showcase of solo work 4x4 reached London theatres in 2013, followed by a sequel 4x4 Squared. His first full-length play Age of Love received a positive response at the 2015 Camden Fringe, followed by his solo show Connecting..., written & performed by Hicks and produced & directed by Regan, which successfully toured theatres in 2018 and 2019. A video recording of Connecting... at London's Chapel Playhouse remains to be released online at a later date.

Personal life
Hicks lives in London and is in a relationship with Dana Chucki (born 1995). He has also lived and worked in Australia, and holds dual British and Irish citizenship.

By the time of the COVID-19 pandemic Hicks had travelled to 71 countries, mostly in the space of 7 years from 2013 to early 2020. Inspired by other world travellers including Michael Palin and Graham Hughes, his favourite country has been Bosnia & Herzegovina, and he plans to write a book of his adventures so far.