David Walliams Surfaces at Theatre Event Showcasing His 'Mischief'

David Walliams has appeared at an event showcasing his “theatrical mischief”. The children’s author, 54, re-emerged in public on Saturday weeks after The Telegraph revealed he had been dropped by Harper Collins over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. Walliams attended an event at the Circle & Star Theatre in Hampstead, London, on Saturday night, where he did not speak as he made his way towards the entrance. The event was billed by the theatre as “a joyful storytelling adventure for kids and families”, featuring readings, audience interaction and mischief. Sold as “an evening of humour, heart, and theatrical mischief with one of Britain’s most distinctive storytellers”, guests were taken “behind the pages and into the stories” of his best-selling children’s books to hear “the comedy, creativity, and chaos that have shaped his career”. “Mixing conversation, readings, and a few perfectly timed surprises, this is an intimate, revealing, and riotously funny night with the man behind Little Britain, The Boy in the Dress, and Billionaire Boy,” the theatre said in its description of the event. Walliams later posted on his Instagram for the first time since the scandal broke, with pictures showing him smiling alongside comedian Steve Furst. Elsewhere, fans posted pictures alongside the author with one describing him as “charming and funny”. He was dropped by his publisher last month following an investigation by The Telegraph into inappropriate behaviour towards young women. Walliams, one of the country’s best-selling children’s authors, faced accusations that he had “harassed” junior female employees at Harper Collins. One woman who raised concerns was given a five-figure payoff by the publisher and left the business. The decision to drop Walliams came after the sudden departure of Charlie Redmayne, the publisher’s former chief executive, who left in October. Kate Elton succeeded him. It is understood that Walliams did not know about the Harper Collins investigation and that its conclusions were not put to him. A spokesman for Harper Collins said last month: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new chief executive, Harper Collins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams. The author is aware of this decision. “Harper Collins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals we do not comment on internal matters.” Walliams’s agent said: “David has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by Harper Collins. “He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.” Television career stalls Walliams, who rose to fame more than 20 years ago through the comedy series Little Britain, has since become one of Britain’s most successful authors, with more than 40 books and short-story collections to his name and sales of more than 60 million. In 2019 it was estimated that he and his publisher had sold £100m worth of books. His books are widely used in schools, have been translated into 55 languages, according to Harper Collins, and have been adapted for television by the BBC. However, his television career had stalled in recent years following allegations about sexist remarks he made as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. The BBC has said it is planning no future projects with the former Little Britain star, but it aired an episode of Would I Lie To You? over Christmas featuring Walliams.