Tag Archives: Michael Grandage

Backstairs Billy

Backstairs Billy

★★★★

Duke of York’s Theatre

BACKSTAIRS BILLY at the Duke of York’s Theatre

★★★★

Backstairs Billy

“Evans’ performance is majestic in itself – flamboyant, teasing and mischievous, yet complicated”

William Tallon started writing letters to the Royal Household, asking for work, when he was aged ten. His dream was achieved five years later, in 1951, when he was invited to Easter Court at Windsor, then Buckingham Palace. After the death of King George VI, he followed Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother to Clarence House, where he remained until her death in 2002. During his time, he earned the nickname “Backstairs Billy”, having risen to the position of ‘Page of the Backstairs’. His service and devotion have seeped into popular culture, spawning a Channel 4 documentary two years after his own death, and now Marcelo Dos Santos’ new play in the West End.

Set at the end of the 1970s, Michael Grandage’s production comes dressed as a gentle comedy – almost a farce – but has an extra-strong kick to it beneath the surface. Much like the cocktails Billy serves to The Queen Mother’s guests; all sweet cordial yet with a hidden punch that takes you by surprise. We meet Billy (Luke Evans) presiding over the Household staff, like a virtuoso conductor, as they prepare for one of Ma’am’s receptions in the Garden Room of Clarence House. Immediately we latch on to his irrepressible and subversive irreverence, matched by his unfailing loyalty. We can see why he has earned his privileges, and the special place he holds in the Queen Mother’s heart. Evans’ performance is majestic in itself – flamboyant, teasing and mischievous, yet complicated. Much comedy is drawn from his relationship with other members of the staff, particularly the rivalry with Mr Kerr (Ian Drysdale) the officious killjoy bent on driving Billy out.

“a gorgeously entertaining and traditional piece of theatre”

The Queen Mother was traditionally (allegedly) quarter of an hour late for her ‘at-homes’. It is the same amount of time before Penelope Wilton’s queenly entrance. Immediately in command, Wilton has grasped the hidden essence of the Queen Mother’s character and philosophy. It has often been said that when people met her, she did her best to make them go away feeling better. There is a glint in Wilton’s eye and an infectious smile that matches Evans’ naughtiness. The dynamic between Wilton and Evans is a true delight to watch. Yes, they may be an odd couple, and the Royal etiquette may be stretched a bit, but it is a totally believable friendship that works well on stage. Dos Santos’ script is packed full of one liners that poke fun at all levels of society. A strong supporting cast play various guests, whose comedic flare reminds us of the colourful and eccentric characters who populated Fawlty Towers.

The second act wanders into all out farce. Billy was (allegedly – again) known for bringing his gay lovers back to Clarence House after dark. In the play, one such ‘pick up’ was black artist (Eloka Ivo) who leaves behind his latest sculpture, a large black phallus, which inevitably rears its head the following day. Ivo displays a comic genius as he is mistakenly passed off as a Prince of Lesotho when he returns to collect his ‘artwork’. We are now in Joe Orton territory, but we are keen to be steered back to the central couple. When we are, it is in the aftermath of this scandal that threatens Billy’s position. A slightly jarring moment during which the Queen Mother tests Billy’s loyalty almost sadistically.

But overall, it is a gorgeously entertaining and traditional piece of theatre. Admittedly some serious issues are glossed over. The ‘Winter of Discontent’ that is blowing outside beyond the comfortable confines of Clarence House is cursorily commented on. Yet the subject of class divide is sensitively touched upon between the comedic lines. There are flashback scenes to the recently widowed Queen Mother during which Ilan Galkoff touchingly portrays a fifteen-year-old Billy at the start of his journey, while Wilton draws every ounce of empathy with her depiction of a woman learning to laugh once again. Backstairs Billy was a breath of fresh air to the former Queen consort. “Backstairs Billy” is a breath of fresh air in the West End.


BACKSTAIRS BILLY at the Duke of York’s Theatre

Reviewed on 8th November 2023

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Johan Persson

 


 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Much Ado About Nothing | ★★★★ | February 2023

Backstairs Billy

Backstairs Billy

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Orlando

Orlando

★★★★

Garrick Theatre

ORLANDO at the Garrick Theatre

★★★★

Orlando

“The whole show has a fey enchantment to it that will appeal to many, even if the main character remains an enigma”

 

In this adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s uncategorizable novel Orlando, adaptor Neil Bartlett has taken the unusual step of putting the author on stage. Not content to offer us just one Virginia Woolf though, he offers us nine. It’s a clever way to tip off the audience that Orlando is no ordinary biography of an Elizabethan young man, and that his creator is no ordinary writer. In this joint production between Michael Grandage and Nimax Theatres at the Garrick Theatre, audiences have the opportunity to see Emma Corrin (fresh from her success on TV in The Crown) on stage as the hero/heroine Orlando. Corrin is surrounded by a cast of performers who shift from character to character, gender to gender, and age to age. They are all as chameleon like as the eponymous character in Woolf’s classic novel.

Wait a minute, I hear you say, hero/heroine Orlando? What does that mean? For those who haven’t read Woolf’s Orlando, the story goes something like this. An aristocratic young man, born in 1581 at the height of the Elizabethan Age, wakes up to find he has transformed from male into female after a particularly hard night partying in Istanbul where he is the English Ambassador to the Turkish Court. Lady Orlando, as s/he now becomes, returns to England to find at first hand, all the difficulties of living while female. From inheritances she cannot claim; clothes she cannot wear, and a husband that she must take, Lady Orlando struggles through the Georgian, Victorian and finally, early twentieth century, asking the unanswerable: Who Am I? Did I mention that Orlando is also a time traveller, and ages only twenty years in four centuries? What Virginia Woolf has given us in Orlando is a novel that isn’t science fiction, or a biography. Written in 1928, it is, instead, a thinly disguised celebration of her lover, Vita Sackville-West, and part of a series of revolutionary writings on a woman’s right to self-expression and self-determination. What makes it revolutionary, even today, is that Woolf sees these aims through the eyes of a human who can experience life through the perspective of shifting gender.

Adaptor Neil Bartlett has set himself a complex and challenging task with Orlando. First there is Woolf’s novelistic prose style and the lavish descriptions, as Orlando is not just a courtier, but a poet. How do you transfer Woolf’s prose style to the dramatic language of the theatre? To his credit, Bartlett gets around the problem by bringing on all those Virginias to make Orlando’s case for him/her. Corrin, as Orlando, is an actor up to the challenge of making Orlando come alive on stage. Corrin’s portrayal of Orlando’s innocence and naivety contrast sympathetically with the ever changing cast of characters who attempt to use Orlando for their own ends. They fail because Orlando is outside their experience of humans. And it is this, paradoxically, that makes the production ultimately unsatisfying. It’s because no one, including Orlando, has a really good answer to the question “Who Am I?” Orlando becomes a narrative, rather than a drama, relying heavily on quotes from Woolf, Shakespeare, Pope, and others, to create settings, rather than a plot.

Bartlett shows his theatrical skills in Orlando not so much as a playwright, but in his previous experience as a director. It is in direction that this production really sparkles. And as a director, Michael Grandage’s experience and artistry shows in the way he gathers together his talented cast of eleven, and gives them the space to shine in a variety of roles on a bare bones stage. The stage is populated from time to time with beds, backdrops, and costume racks. (Set and costume design by Peter McIntosh). Just enough to set the scene among a host of short scenes as the centuries pass. Deborah Findlay as Mrs Grimsditch is the one constant in Orlando’s life, mysteriously appearing at random moments to advise on everything from appropriate dress to the date. She also provides a quick sketch of historical events to bring young Orlando (and the audience) up to speed. Findlay’s performance is both endearing and accessible—allowing everyone to anchor themselves among the shifting seas of Woolf’s imagination. The whole show has a fey enchantment to it that will appeal to many, even if the main character remains an enigma.

There are lots of theatrical moments in this production of Orlando, and the Garrick Theatre is the perfect space to show them off. There’s a lot of sly humour in the dialogue as well. This show is a good choice if you’re looking for something different from the usual ballet and pantomime offerings this holiday season. If you’re intrigued by the idea of Virginia Woolf reinterpreted for the stage, why not give Orlando a chance?

 

 

Reviewed on 6th December 2022

by Dominica Plummer

Photography by Marc Brenner

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

 

Myra Dubois: Dead Funny | ★★★★ | September 2021

 

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