Review: BILLIONAIRE BOY, Richmond Theatre

Adapted from the 2010 book written by celebrated author, actor, presenter and talent show judge David Walliams, Billionaire Boy brings to life familiar morality tales for a young audience.

Walliams' reinvention as a children's author currently spans 12 novels, seven picture books and four collections since his first was published in 2008. Billionaire Boy follows his other novels Mr Stink, Ratburger, The First Hippo on the Moon, Gangsta Grannie and Awful Auntie onto the stage, and directed by The Birmingham Stage Company founder Neal Foster - now on his third Walliams adaptation.

This story centres on Joe Spud, the son of billionaire Bumfresh inventor Len Spud, as he switches an exclusive private school for the local comprehensive in search of a friend. Cautionary tales of wealth and friendship are writ large throughout.

Walliams weaves together the charming and the affecting with well-practiced ease, never tempted to stray into any adult-pleasing territory and keeping his focus squarely on the young audience.

While some of the morality is slightly overcooked, the show does handle its central themes with poignancy and sensitivity, introducing some more advanced ideas that avoid patronising the audience.

Parents may find their patience tested at times as a few gags - mostly from Mrs Trafe's kitchen - get recycled once too often, and the Learning Points are signposted a little too glaringly, eliciting the odd eye-roll.

But Walliams' knack of creating colourful characters and bringing them to life in all sorts of wild situations translates well into the theatre, helped by a sizeable stage and creative set design from Jacqueline Trousdale.

In particular, Bumfresh Towers comes to life as looming pillars of toilet roll, before slotting in neatly as the backdrop of a school. One set-piece in particular, featuring a helicopter and plenty of sound effects, is well executed and is the sort of eye-grabbing moment that will swiftly hush any murmurs of discontent from younger audience members.

In the lead roles, Matthew Gordon pitches Joe Spud's emotional and social development effectively, while debutant Davy Bell is strikingly earnest as his close friend Bob Evans.

Elsewhere amid the nine-strong cast, Emma Matthews hams it up as school cook Mrs Trafe to delighted squeals from the audience, and, as Len Spud, Jason Furnival keeps parts of this jaunty tale grounded with a touching turn. There are also some catchy songs (Jak Poore) that keep the tempo upbeat and jaunty.

There are slight changes to the book, television adaptation and previous musical adaptation, with the role of friend-hiding-a-secret filled by Bernard Mensah's Jayden, instead of the original Laura, removing a key semi-romantic plotline and shifting the focus back on the central father-son relationship.

In all, this is a well-judged take on a popular tale that will surely make the most of the incoming half-term traffic.

Billionaire Boy at Richmond Theatre until 2 November, then continues on tour

Photo Credit: Mark Douet

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