Billy Liar

How I Would Play Billy

Page 36, Act 2, Lines “…Rita, will you listen for one minute!… No,

listen to what I’m telling you!” Until Page 39, Lines “He can’t wash

himself, never mind the pots.”

The reason I chose Billy to discuss how I would play his role in the

play is not only I was him in the short scene presented to the class,

but he has more to him than meets the eye.

There are so many things which distinguish Billy character, and make

him unique. Billy is proposed to three different girls, he starts

tells small fibs to make his life sound more interesting, but

gradually people realise that he is lying and he makes up more lies to

get himself out of trouble. Eventually his life seems to be based on

lies.

In the scene I have chosen it begins with Billy on the phone with the

domineering Rita. He seems to be over powered by her frequent and

poignant questions not to mention her intolerant attitude. In this

case I would play Billy with a sense of awareness about him, as if he

didn’t want anyone to hear what he was saying. By that I mean a softer

voice, and he would keep looking over his shoulder to check no one was

there listening. Towards the end of the phone call however I would

make sure Billy would be getting worked up because Rita was saying

that she would be going round there to collect the ring and she

wouldn’t take no for an answer. Billy would raise his voice slightly,

and he would be gritting his teeth trying to hold his anger in.

Eventually Rita hangs up on him and he slams the phone down releasing

his anger from the phone call.

In the phone call I would have Billy pausing a lot, making it sound

like Rita would be interrupting him. Also I would have him say the

line “Of course it’s all right...” with a very soft and gentle tone,

trying to calm her down, and convince her that nothing has happened to

her precious ring.

On top of that this is the first case that you see Billy lying, in

this particular scene I have chosen. The ring is certainly not at the

jewellers, it is sitting on Barbara’s finger.

During the phone call I would have Billy walking back and fourth about

four steps at a time. This should represent that a lot is going on in

his head and that he is nervous. I would have him waving his left hand

around, as if he is making everything up on the spot, his right hand