Theatre Review: Idiots Assemble – Spitting Image Saves The World
AD: This Press Night Review refers to the 2023 Production of Spitting Image Live: Idiots Assemble at the Birmingham Rep*
Back in the mid 80s, Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn created a puppet show that was most definitely not for kids. Spitting Image satirised politics, sport and popular culture in the form of highly recognisable caricatured puppets. They even dominated the UK Singles Charts, with the classic “The Chicken Song”. Come on, you all remember the words. Admittedly, it wasn’t must-watch TV in the Lee household when I was growing up. Ma and Pa Lee preferred a more subtle approach to humour. Yet I still couldn’t fail to recognise the gin-swigging Queen Mother or grey John Major. Despite attempts to revive the show in the 2000s, and a short spell on streaming service Britbox, new Spitting Image has largely been absent from the public eye.
Until now. Co-written by Al Murray, Matt Forde and Birmingham Rep’s own Artistic Director Sean Foley, Spitting Image is back. And this time, it’s live. Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves The World sees the worlds of politics, showbiz, royalty and sport intermingle in an Avengers-style plot of good vs evil. Only a crack(pot) team of heroes, led by a tiny Tom Cruise, can save us.
Top Birmingham Fact: Spitting Image was first filmed in Birmingham 40 years ago, so this is something of a homecoming!
There’s something of a plot, but it’s best not to dive into it too deeply and just enjoy the madness. There’s a plane ride, a boat ride and a wedding. There are scenes set in Downing Street, Buckingham Palace and on a Ukraine battlefield. We’re taken behind the scenes of Bargain Hunt. There are giant lizards. Oh, and it’s a musical too.
The list of famous characters that pop up as puppets is immense. Greta Thunberg. Idris Elba. James Corden. Stormzy. Angela Rayner. Royalty mingles with politicians. Rupaul forms a formidable team with a pint-sized Tom Cruise. There’s a grotesque cokehead Paddington Bear. Harry and Meghan look on from the Royal Box, a copy of Spare constantly on hand for a little self-promotion. Jacob Rees Mogg as a praying mantis. A tap-dancing Vladimir Putin. Head boy Rishi Sunak and a VERY disturbing Suella Braverman. And no political satire can be complete without buffoon Boris Johnson. He was originally to be the star of the show when stage show was originally conceived as “The Liar King”. Although Carrie Johnson steals the show with her rousing – or should that be A-rousing ensemble…
The voices are provided by a mix of actors, impressionists and comedians, including familiar names such as Al Murray, Debra Stevenson and Kathryn Drysdale. The voices may be pre-recorded, but the 12 puppeteers are very much live on stage. In a similar style to Avenue Q, you soon forget that the puppets aren’t sentient beings, despite the puppeteers being visible. This cast of puppeteers are immensely talented, easily switching from character to character and operating the puppets perfectly in sync with the voice recordings. They fully deserved their standing ovation at the end of the show.
Topical and up-to-date jokes are sprinkled throughout. The script is ever-evolving to reflect the latest absurdities. Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation was referenced despite occurring just 24 hours prior to the gala night performance. Sadly when you stop to think about the actual state of the nation inspiring the jokes, it becomes a little less funny. After all, not even Tom Cruise can save the UK.
Spitting Image sets out to offend. The very premise is to take a defining feature and to exaggerate it ridiculously. Did we need Carrie Johnson’s singing nipples? Probably not. Did we need a possessed Suella Braverman having an orgasm over a Rwanda flight? Definitely.
Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World runs at Birmingham Rep until Saturday 11th March 2023. To book tickets visit Birmingham-rep.co.uk, call 0121 236 4455 or visit the box office during opening hours.
