Backstairs Billy (West End)
Closed 2h 15m
Backstairs Billy (West End)
83%
83%
(103 Ratings)
Positive
88%
Mixed
9%
Negative
3%
Members say
Entertaining, Funny, Delightful, Great acting, Clever

About the Show

Luke Evans & Penelope Wilton star in this new comedy about the Queen Mother and her servant “Billy” Tallon.

Read more Show less

Critic Reviews (14)

Theatre Weekly (UK)
November 7th, 2023

“This right royal romp is uproariously funny but also gives a fascinating insight to the inner workings of that famous family. ‘Backstairs Billy’ is of course a fictionalised account of this particular relationship, but it feels so genuinely authentic you do feel like you’ve spent the evening in the company of a true Queen…and a lady named Elizabeth.”
Read more

West End Best Friend
November 9th, 2023

" 'Backstairs Billy' is a witty take on the royal household and the goings-on behind the scenes that most people would never be a part of, and the snappy one-liners come thick and fast, but it’s all tinged with a hint of sadness, and that’s what will stay with you long after the laughter stops."
Read more

The Arts Desk
November 8th, 2023

“Those who might dismiss ‘Backstairs Billy’ as so much heightened gossip would do well to heed its warning about societal divides that on this evidence can never be breached.”
Read more

The Telegraph (UK)
November 8th, 2023

“Abounding with witty entertainment and curiosity value, augmented by scene-stealing appearances from two real-life corgis, it confirms the promise shown by Marcelo Dos Santos with his comic monologue”
Read more

WhatsOnStage
November 8th, 2023

“Marcelo Dos Santos’s ‘Backstairs Billy’ is a strange thing. Not six characters in search of an author, but a set of good lines in search of a play...’Backstairs Billy’, for all its humour, feels like a smudged snapshot rather than a fully realised portrait.”
Read more

The London Evening Standard
November 8th, 2023

“Grandage’s production is consistently funny, and the performances entertain, but this play really doesn’t know what it’s saying.”
Read more

The Independent (UK)
November 8th, 2023

“...’Backstairs Billy’ is at its strongest when it brings its twisted dynamics to life. Still, even in its fluffiest moments, it’s altogether enjoyable”
Read more

The Guardian (UK)
November 8th, 2023

“The writing has sophistication and some jokes are funny but this is the epitome of theatre as light entertainment.”
Read more