MP meets Spitting Image puppet
Jess Phillips, MP for Birmingham Yardley, headed backstage to meet her own “Spitting Image ” puppet following the world premiere of Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World.
The production is currently running at Birmingham Rep until Saturday, 11 March 2023.
Speaking at the gala opening night at The Rep, Jess Phillips MP said; “Stand down, call an election�the (Spitting Image) puppets are genuinely better than the actual people. ”
World famous celebrities are thrown together as Tom Cruise is tasked by King Charles with saving Great Britain. Greta Thunberg duets with Stormzy as Putin and Xi watch on from their premium seats in the stalls.
Director of Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World and Rep Artistic Director, Sean Foley said; “To be premiering this theatrical extravaganza in Birmingham, the home of the original ground-breaking television series of Spitting Image, is proving to be wonderful thrill.
“During previews the audience reactions have been wonderful - huge laughs and a genuine sense of raucous delight in the show� the chance to gleefully be part of pointing out that our various Emperors have nothing on - in the world of politics, celebrity, and in our biggest soap opera of them all, the Royal family - is an infectious, crazy ride that the show takes people on every night. ”
The BAFTA and Emmy award-winning satirical Spitting Image television series originally ran for 18 series between 1984 and 1996, and was watched by over 15 million viewers.
It recently made a popular return to TV on BritBox, where across official social media channels, Spitting Image content has been hugely popular with over 200 million views globally, three number 1 trending videos on YouTube and achieved critical praise across the political divide.
Three one-off specials for ITV have also seen huge success on terrestrial television: with a 4.4 million audience achieving ITV 's highest Saturday night ratings at that time in four years.
Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World - Live on Stage is presented by Avalon and Birmingham Rep.
Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World runs at Birmingham Rep until Sat 11 Mar 2023. To book tickets visit Birmingham-rep.co.uk, call 0121 236 4455 or visit the box office during opening hours.*
Chamberlink editor John Lamb reviews Spitting Image
Satire is back. And it has arrived in the shape of Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World currently enjoying its world premier at the Rep in Birmingham, writes John Lamb.
It 's not for the faint-hearted and even in the warnings at the beginning of the show you 're advised to “f*** off “ if you 're not prepared to put up with some ribald activity.
I didn 't see anyone leave and we were treated to raw comedy and biting political comment that the 1980s TV show was famous for.
There was an audible sigh of relief and enthusiasm from an audience that seemed relieved that at last PCness had been cast to the winds.
Among them was Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley and Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding, who was there at the world premier to see herself lampooned in the ruthless tradition of the show.
She wasn 't alone. No-one was spared, including King Charles, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. Putin and Xi watched from a box on one side of the stage, while Harry and Meghan occupied the other side.
The continual figure of fun is no other than Tom Cruise, who is charged by King Charles with saving Great Britain. The 5ft 7in Hollywood star is portrayed in miniature form in contrast to the other characters.
The puppets are as good as those created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn in the eighties satirical TV show. They include Greta Thunberg Michael Gove, Taylor Swift, Tom Cruise, Sir Ian McKellen, Alison Hammond, Idris Elba, Daniel Craig, Harry Styles, Meghan Markle and Paddington Bear.
The show runs until March 11 and if you yearn for the unfettered satire of what seemed a more liberated age, head for the Rep. There 's too little of it around these days.
Pictured: Jess Phillips MP with her Spitting Image puppet backstage at Birmingham Rep