The bestselling children’s author David Walliams, the award-winning Birmingham Stage Company and Coalition Agency have teamed up for a brand-new COVID-safe CAR PARK PARTY production of Billionaire Boy, coming to Harewood on Monday 5th April.
Billionaire Boy started life as a David Walliams novel for children in 2010, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books. In 2016 it was adapted into a BBC production and has since become a firm Christmas television favourite.
Billionaire Boy tells the story of Joe Spud, who is twelve years old and the richest boy in the country. He has his own sports car, £100k a week pocket money and two crocodiles as pets. But what Joe doesn’t have is a friend. So he decides to leave his posh school and start at the local comprehensive. But things don't go as planned for Joe and life becomes a rollercoaster as he tries find the one thing money can't buy.
David Walliams said: “I am delighted that families will have the opportunity to see some live theatre again. The show is hilarious and I hope spreads some happiness in these difficult times.”
CAR PARK PARTY was launched summer 2020 and quickly became the nation’s favourite family drive in with Horrible Histories ‘Barmy Britain’. It then helped to save Christmas with the hugely successful Car Park Panto, performing ‘Horrible Christmas’ to forty thousand family members in their cars across 16 wintery towns and cities.
Whilst the UK continues its fight back against the pandemic, children continue to miss out on live arts and so Easter presents the perfect time to bring live theatre to families across the country.
Neal Foster, adapter and director of Billionaire Boy said: “It was wonderful to be part of a magical enterprise in 2020 bringing live theatre to families desperate for the joy and connection theatre provides, so we are delighted to be presenting our production of one of David Walliams’ most popular stories which began its national tour in 2019 and was abruptly halted by Covid. The show’s actors are thrilled with the opportunity to return to a new stage with a story that demonstrates the importance of friends and family at this critical time for the world”.
Tickets on-sale 8am, Thursday 4th February. From www.carparkparty.com starting from £49.50 (+ £2.50 booking fee)
ABOUT DAVID WALLIAMS
David Walliams has become one of today’s most influential writers. Since the publication of his first novel, The Boy in the Dress (2008), illustrated by the iconic Sir Quentin Blake, David Walliams has celebrated more than ten years of writing success with global sales exceeding 40 million copies, and his books have been translated into fifty-three languages. David’s titles have spent 190 weeks (non-consecutive) at the top of the children’s charts – more than any other children’s author ever.
In addition to his fiction, David has worked with Tony Ross on five bestselling short-story collections, The World’s Worst Series as well as seven picture books. In 2020, David formed a new partnership with award-winning illustrator Adam Stower for his eighth picture book, Little Monsters.
We will be adhering to all the current Covid-19 social distancing guidelines to ensure everybody has an enjoyable and very safe experience:
Car Park Party is an organised gathering whereby we will know in advance those who are attending, enabling contact with attendees before, during and after the event.
No different from people attending other social-distanced events, our expectation is that people will already be attuned to the measures required.
We have a traffic management team on site and all vehicles will be parked two metres apart.
Tickets will be scanned through the windows, so no human contact necessary.
There will be a range of food and beverage offering available at the event and we will be adhering to all the COVID-19 government guidelines.
Toilet facilities will be provided with social distancing health and safety management and sanitization measures in place.
