Review: David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy for a rib-tickling family night out

“If this show was on BGT, it would be getting the golden buzzer and go straight through,” joked David Walliams when addressing a packed Richmond Theatre at the press night of the musical adaptation of his book Billionaire Boy last week.

We had come to review the show, driving down to Richmond in the dark after a birthday party and listening to the audiobook in the car. We stormed through the theatre entrance just in time and settled into our seats quickly to get ready to laugh. It didn’t take long, and when I think back to some of the hilarious moments in this Birmingham Stage Company production, I can’t help but smile.

David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy tells the story about the mega rich 12-year-old Joe Spud whose dad has become a billionaire after inventing a new type of toilet paper. Despite a fat bank account, a gigantic house and all the gadgets anyone could wish for, Joe is missing one thing that he soon realises money can’t buy – a friend. On his birthday he asks his dad to change schools to escape his £200,000-a-term school, where the curriculum includes subjects like the history of tweed. Instead, Joe wants to go to the local comprehensive where no one knows who he is–at least until his dad arrives at school in a helicopter to drop off Joe’s homework.

The show has a strong message about friendship and also delivers on its comedy value. The clever set features a toilet roll structure with removable sections to change the staging, and there are plenty of hilarious characters, including the party-loving dad, who rents guests for his engagement party, and the school dinner lady, who asks Joe for money for a hip replacement but appears to have spent it on something very different.

When I returned home after seeing Billionaire Boy, I was buzzing and even made Daddy T laugh when retelling one of the jokes from the evening.

My favourite moment in the show was when Joe talked about his class at the posh school and started listing lots of names–but then explained that that’s only one child. This giggle-worthy humour continues throughout Billionaire Boy, making it a must-see for fans of David Walliams’ witty children’s books.

David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy will be playing at Bloomsbury Theatre from 13 December 2019 to 5 January 2020. The running time is 2 hours and 10 minutes, including interval, and the show is recommended for ages 5+.

Photos by Mark Douet.

Tags: Billionaire Boy, Bloomsbury Theatre, Richmond Theatre