Picture: Mark Senior
Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical continues at the Phoenix Theatre, London until 26 August 2023.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
Spitting Image was hugely popular in the 1980s and 90s and with its resurgence in 2020, it’s now set up home in the West End with a musical like no other.
Having previously had more of a political focus, the creators Al Murray, Matt Forde and Sean Foley make sure that the show stays true to its roots while incorporating enough celebrities and famous faces to keep everybody entertained.
The puppeteers are undeniably brilliant, with a 15-strong cast bringing to life over 100 characters during the two and a half hours of absurdity. Despite being entirely visible, they don’t distract from the character taking the spotlight.
The plot consists of a team of seven characters (the goodies, if you will) called upon by King Charles himself, who are on a mission to save the world from evil forces headed up by Boris Johnson. Led by a tiny Tom Cruise, the team consist of an eclectic combination of Tyson Fury, RuPaul, Angela Rayner, Greta Thunberg, Idris Elba and Meghan Markle. Boris is supported by his own entourage including Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg, to name a few.
King Charles’ team are assembled via a Britain’s Got Talent competition in which we’re treating to flying visits from Adele, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran and more. I do feel this section and the much-loved characters could have been utilised more, but with a jam-packed plot, it is quickly on to the next scene.
Whether it is Liz Truss as a lettuce, the oversized dancing penis or an Exorcist-esque Suella Braverman, there is always another gag or surprise around the corner to keep the audience engaged.
Some of the jokes have been done before – there isn’t anything original about joking about Tom Cruise’s height – but the references and story are bang up to date with plenty of Coronation jokes, including a sword-wielding Penny Mordaunt, as well as a Nicola Sturgeon who occasionally pops up while on the run from the police. I can’t help but wonder if the show will continue to be refreshed and updated as the run continues or the jokes will begin to become stale and out of date.
There is no political bias with both the left wing and right wing being heavily mocked; Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner get off no more lightly than Boris and his cronies. With Rishi Sunak dressed as a school boy and Jacob Rees-Mogg depicted as a giant stick insect, no political figure escapes the wrath of Murray.
The musical theatre numbers are few and far between but the well-executed and well-known songs with lyrics changed to create a relevant character song. For example, Braverman’s ‘I’m Suella’ performed to the tune of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ or the brilliant tap number ‘Putin’ on the Blitz’.
Fast-paced and daft, the production brings a self-confessed ridiculous night out to the heart of the West End and, as long as you aren’t easily offended, makes for a hilariously stupid yet enjoyable night out.
Olivia Scull
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