The most copycat show on TV jumps to the West End stage in this flamboyant production featuring all of your favourite(ish) celebrities. Guillermo Nazara shares his thoughts on the musical, to let us know if the montage is either sputtering or worth drooling over.
F*CK OFF. Oh, I just love it when a show acknowledges me. Although you may feel you’re being spoken to at this one too. You know what you’ve done, haven’t you? Nah, don’t worry – it’s just a joke (or is it?), but the thing is that you will be warned at the beginning of this performance. Because if you’re either a snowflake (yes, I’ve said), a flat earther, a people pleaser (whatever that means…) or basically, just a wanker (you must choose one), you will be told to f*ck off. Cuz this is the Spitting Image – you know what you were coming for when you booked your ticket. And anything having to do with fluids requires, one way or another, a splash zone – see the ending of Act One for that matter…
Nobody’s safe! Absolutely NOBODY! Not the royals, not the superstars, not even your own convictions! Everything falls down into this boiling cauldron bubbling up with hot bitchiness – sometimes, incredibly spicy. Laughter is more than guaranteed in this 2-hour satire of British decadence – where the Woke will get pissed and the Tories, screwed (in every sense). The jokes are raw and the humour is dry – sometimes it gets a bit moist, but… well, you know where I’m going…
A spitefully joyful ride, the only flaw in its writing lies in a lack of balance as for its punchlines. All those delightfully mean impersonations capture their victims’ spirit to perfection (except for Suella “De Vil” Braverman, who’s prepared to suck your soul). However, the dialogue is not always as rich and ironic as its scenes’ potential would suggest – a bit too often relying just on catchphrases instead of more witty, surprising twists. At the same time, some parody moments also look a little dated.
Starring a real-size 9-inches-tall impression of Tom Cruise, the League of Inclusive Gentle— (what am I supposed to say?) are set on a quest to restore the fabric of society. Featuring incredibly realistic voice performances, it’s however slightly discouraging that we don’t get to see those actors live. Yes, I’m aware that finding a cast capable of making voices, operate puppets and dance, all in one, is virtually Mission: Impossible (no pun intended), but when it comes to the theatre, the fewer recordings we use, the better. Nonetheless, the onstage ensemble truly deserves my whole admiration, capable of transforming all of these grotesque dummies into actually living creatures. The result is so believable, it sometimes can get frightening – although that’s not too hard when your name is Boris Johnson.
From fantasy-action stunts to documentary-factual snippets (Maggie Thatcher being summoned from hell is just a scientific certainty), Spitting Image, The Musical keeps the dark heart and soul of the TV show through its fiendish view on all things worth spewing on (don’t go dirty over that… they already beat you to it). Comprising both highs and lows in script and production, the overall feel is still of a good, enjoyable show – which yet hasn’t reached as much as what it could be able to offer. Silly fun is more than secured, and a bit of cunning will find its way throughout too. But whatever the case, do go see it and judge for yourself. Because according to somebody, all that I post is “fake news – everybody says it”.
All pictures credit to Mark S.
Spitting Image, The Musical – Idiots, Assemble plays at London’s Phoenix Theatre until 26 August. Tickets are available on the following link.