An Oxford English hour of sipping tea, gin, punch and other liberal spirits while gossiping on a most noble level. Structured around the remarkable life story of William Tallon – know as ‘Backstairs Billy’ – this show lets the audience witness glimpses of the normal days and delights of always-in-the-spotlight royal and political celebrities. Snippets one is likely to find in the glossy tabloids the backstairs butlers might take delight in, as they put up with yet another joke, with the suffered relatives, the lower royals, all the while protecting the table silver, and travelling from royal home to royal home. A clever and well structured script, professionally performed, an opulently furnished set (even the flat screen has a golden frame), and a noble piece of tittle-tattle. Cheers!

C Aquila, 2-27 Aug, 5.25pm.
tw rating 4/5 | [Veronika Kallus]