Luke Evans, Penelope Wilton and more spill the afternoon tea | Backstairs Billy opening night

Last night WhatsOnStage attended the official opening of Backstairs Billy at the Duke of York's Theatre, where screen star Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast) has returned to the stage after a 15-year absence and Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey) is delighting patrons with her take on the Queen Mother. After the curtain call, we met up with the two headliners, alongside playwright Marcelo Dos Santos (making his West End debut), WhatsOnStage Award-winning director Michael Grandage (Frozen) and more cast members, to talk all things Clarence House, comedy and corgis... and if you stay for the post-credits scene, you might just see a couple of furry friends make an appearance! Backstairs Billy explores the 50-year relationship between the Queen Mother and her loyal servant, William "Billy" Tallon. The production marks a reunion between Grandage and Wilton, who previously collaborated on productions including The Chalk Garden, John Gabriel Borkman, and Hamlet. Additionally, Evans performed twice at the Donmar during Grandage's artistic directorship, in Small Change and Piaf. Dos Santos was a recipient of the MGCfutures Bursary in 2019 – a charity established by Grandage to support various aspects of the theatre industry – and following their introduction through the bursary program, MGC commissioned Dos Santos to write the new comedy. Alongside Wilton and Evans, the cast includes Emily Barber (as Annabel Maud/Lady Astlebury), Iwan Davies (as Gwydion), Ian Drysdale (as Kerr), Ilan Galkoff (as Young Billy), Eloka Ivo (as Ian), Michael Simkins (as Mr Harrington-Bahr/Hugo McCoyd), and Nicole Sloane (as Mrs Harrington-Bahr/Lady Adeline). Completing the company are David Buttle, Amy Newton, Keanu Adolphus Johnson, Georgie Rhys, and Jacob Ethan Tanner. The creative team also includes set designer Christopher Oram, costume designers Oram and Tom Rand, lighting designer Ryan Day, music and sound designer Adam Cork, wigs, hair and makeup designer Carole Hancock, casting director Jacob Sparrow, associate director Sophie Drake, and costume supervisor Mary Charlton. Backstairs Billy continues its run at the Duke of York's Theatre until 27 January 2024.