Tag Archives: Marcelo Dos Santos

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“Backstairs Billy” at the Duke of York’s Theatre

It’s hard not to suspect that Marcelo Dos Santos’ play is in the West End because people are interested in Royalty. This fictional account of the Queen Mother and her butler, Billy Tallon, is good. But there isn’t a lot to it. At its best it offers performances to sit back and enjoy: confident, subtle, and making the most of some solid comedy writing.

Charm comes from the characters (not that they are closely, or convincingly, written) who endear and amuse. Billy is gay, so there are two Queens here (ha, ha) with jokes, just a little naughty, about their adventures and attitudes. Not a lot goes on and there’s not much for the performers to convey. But Penelope Wilton and Luke Evans do very well in the lead roles.

The affection Billy and the Queen Mum feel for each is neatly used – both papering over and creating tension. He is long serving but not long-suffering with “the eyes of a religious zealot” when the two first meet (flashback scenes make a strong showcase for Ilan Galkoff who plays a younger Billy).

The Queen Mother is…well…she’s the Queen Mum and gets off very lightly. While plenty of her behaviour is unpleasant the play owes too much to the Royals to really criticise. Meanwhile, Billy is a “boon” to her, especially when we see her as an increasingly lonely old lady. At least his fears of being only “marginalia” in her story is a fate Dos Santos successfully prevents.

When it tries to add bite Backstairs Billy fails. There’s a sitcom moment with Billy’s one night stand, who makes an unwelcome return, that’s successful until politics is brought into the mix. And the power play between the queen and Billy gets nasty and threatens to leave the audience with a sour taste in a clumsy fashion.

Director Michael Grandage keeps the action brisk – necessary in such a static play. Christopher Oram’s set and costume design are accomplished. And there are corgis – real ones! There’s plenty of talent here, and fun moments. But efforts to show changes in British society ring hollow. Backstairs Billy doesn’t give much more than a good giggle.

Until 27 January 2024

www.michaelgrandagecompany.com

Photo by Johan Persson

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“Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen” at the Bush Theatre

It makes sense that Marcelo Dos Santos’ monologue was a success at the Edinburgh Festival. The Comedian character we spend an hour with has a lot to say about humour and his delivery is impeccable. It’s clear Samuel Barnett, who takes the role, could have a second career in stand up. And the play is very funny.

Dos Santos provides insight as well as laughs, even if not all his ideas are new. The tears of a clown cliché, the need for an audience – we know all this – but less so the cold calculating skill of the comedian’s craft being compared to the work of a butcher. Along with stops and starts to what may or may not be the routine, there’s enough to make you pause, question and think.

The play is a love story, too, as an affair with an American, whose name is never revealed, develops. Again, discussion of dating apps and cultural differences is standard stuff, although well written. The offstage character is vivid and the romance endearing. And there’s a great twist when it comes to “what’s wrong” with this new love that provides a surprising and neat conclusion.

It’s all tightly written, and Matthew Xia’s direction helps enormously. If there are reservations, you might question how well Dos Santos handles his “unreliable first-person narrator”. The Comedian, with his hook-ups and drug use, might be too obviously troubled to create much tension? Too frequently his passive aggression is, well, just aggressive.

Still, it is a bold move to stretch our sympathy, and Barnett really comes into his own here. The “professional neurotic” he plays often grates, but he earns our attention even when he’s being contemptuous. And you feel for him even though he is silly. After all, isn’t being morbid and self-obsessed contradictory? (If you think life is pointless, why does yours matter so much?)

If the show aims at edgy, it doesn’t quite get there, but all involved do a great job. The script is efficient, Xia sensitive and Barnett fantastic. Even the microphone is used to great effect – as a weapon and a shield. How Barnett manages his single prop neatly parallels the show’s underlying anger and vulnerability.

Until 23 December 2023

www.bushtheatre.co.uk

Photo by The Other Richard