BACKSTAIRS BILLY the true story of HM The Queen Mother and main queen that served her

First, it was a memoir, then a TV documentary and now it’s about to hit the London stage as the whole thing is a magical mix of The Queen Mother with the queens who looked after her. If you thought that modern-day British Rotal Scandals started with the late Princess Diana you would be so wrong

In the 1950’s 15-year-old William Tallon wrote to Buckingham Palace looking for work and was rewarded with the post of a junior footman. Two years later he was seconded to nearby Clarence House where the newly widowed Queen Mother was setting up her own Court.

Tallon was part of a Clarence House staff of 30 split into two factions The Upper House was made up of Officials who ran HM’s Diary and Business etc, and Below Stairs who did the physical work to keep the House functioning. Although homosexuality was still illegal back then it didn’t stop the Palace from hiring so many gay men to help QM. Five years into his service, Tallon fell in love with Reg Wilcock a fellow footman, and they lived together as boyfriends for the next 50 years.

Over the years Tallon progressed to be the head of the household, and Reg became his deputy. It led to one commentator remarking they were two old queens working for a real old queen. When HM died aged 102 Tallon had been with her ever 50 years …… far longer than her late husband the King

Now this fascinating story is about to hit the West End Stage in London this October. Marcelo Dos Santos has developed Backstairs Billy into a comedy starring Penelope Wilton (Downtown Abbey) as HM The Queen Mother and the very handsome gay Welsh actor Luke Evans as Billy

27 OCTOBER 2023 - 27 JANUARY 2024

https://www.michaelgrandagecompany.com/productions/theatre/backstairs-billy