Idiots Assemble - Spitting Image - The Musical - Review

Phoenix Theatre, London

**

Written by Al Murray, Matt Forde and Sean Foley

Directed by Sean Foley

Vladimir Putin in Spitting Image - The Musical

Back in the 1980s Spitting Image was a ground-breaking TV series that brilliantly satirised the politicians and celebrities of the day with ingeniously caricatured latex puppets and scripts that mocked all. It was the time of Margaret Thatcher, in turn followed by John Major and it was also a time when to offend was a sacrosanct part of British comedy, political correctness having barely been invented.

Each episode of that show lasted for 30 minutes, short enough to keep writers on their toes with scripts and gags honed to razor-sharp accuracy and all rounded off each week with a punchy musical number that spoofed some hit record of the time with more top-notch irreverence. Peter Fluck and Roger Law were the series' sculpting geniuses whose eyes for ridiculing the great and the not-so-great was peerless. Law lends his name and his vision to this current iteration as Caricaturist Supremo and superficially at least, his inspired vision lingers on.

But a 30-minute blast of Spitting Image on the telly was to prove the medium’s perfect time slot. In a full blown West End musical, two hours proves to be too long to sustain what should otherwise be a series of brilliant jokes.

To be fair, the show’s first act has moments of platinum-plated comedy. The Royals (as was the case back in the day) get treated mercilessly by the writers, who even include an affectionately portrayed ghost of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The recently crowned King Charles III is royally ridiculed as are his sons, wife and brother Andrew and rightly so. Politicians from across the global political spectrum are on the production’s hit list, with a musical number from the Russian President, Putin On The Blitz (geddit?) being perhaps the evening’s lyrical triumph. The first half’s penultimate song has a latex Carrie Johnson leading a chorus of dancing six-foot phalli in All Men Think With Their Dicks, before a line-up of the Tory leadership sing Cabaret's chilling Tomorrow Belongs To Me while the aforementioned penises, complete with winking meatuses, ejaculate skeins of long white paper streamers before the half-time curtain falls. The smuttiest knob-gag in town, but very funny.

The second half however descends into a drawn-out charade of the already thinly-stretched plot-lines worsened by a political bias that transcends all satire and morphs into a tiresome, shallow rant. The musical's incongruous nods to the TV show's all grey John Major and all-powerful Thatcher characters were appreciated by the mostly greying audience, and the ghost-Queen’s closing number of Enjoy Yourself, It’s Later Than You Think was a neat touch, as was her being accompanied by Brian May. But they were too little, too late.

Script aside - the show is a work of impressive theatrical wizardry with the programme listing a massive technical crew. On stage in each performance, twelve puppeteers make the latex live, perfectly synching their movements to the pre-recorded dialogue and music and as should be the way with all good puppet-based shows, those dozen or so humans “disappear” from our conscious vision and we only see the characters they are animating. Equally Alexander Bermange has done a fine job with the show’s recorded backing music.

The bus pass brigade will likely enjoy this mostly anodyne fayre, but Spitting Image died a natural TV death a long time ago. It should have been allowed to rest in peace.

Runs until 26th August

I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical - Review

Live at Zedel, London



***



Written by Alexander S. Bermange
Directed by Paul Foster

For anyone who has sat through the drawn-out spectacle of a musical that just seemed to miss the mark completely, Alexander S. Bermange sympathises with you. From the opening number which promises so much, through to the second half that might feel as though it is dragging on just a bit too long, the audience’s plight is fully acknowledged in this spirited production.

What’s also apparent is that this is a decidedly un-rosy experience for the performers too. For all the contrived joviality and tightly directed cohesion on stage, the polar opposite is going on behind the scenes.

I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical is a satirical exposé of the life of a musical theatre performer, which poking fun at all those involved in a musical (the audience included) while the performers themselves also come to terms with why they endure such an ordeal.

The life of a musical theatre star is not an easy one. Auditioning is a gruelling and thankless task (beautifully communicated by Diana Vickers in her finest moment of the show), but even after getting a part, you could be resigned to waiting in the wings as an understudy to the star who will never willingly relinquish a show. Or you could be forced to contend with an unbearable star, as exquisitely portrayed by Suzie Mathers in The Diva Is Here. You may even end up with a stalker, before eventually becoming a teacher. The stories are all grounded in reality but layered with a healthy dose of comedy.

The cast of five - which includes Bermange on the piano, acting as narrator and an ensemble actor who longs to be recognised in his own right - is well assembled, with Oliver Savile and Liam Tamne rounding out the group. Strong vocals and on-stage chemistry means they are a delight to watch. Mathers and Savile are outstanding in their own rights, but even better together and no doubt this comes as a result of being reunited in their third production together.

Throughout however, it is apparent that rehearsal time was lacking; while the songs are broadly on point, the dialogue between numbers is rushed and often delivered off cue cards. This is a shame, since the material is sharp, creative and fiery and appropriately mirroring the energy levels that exist across a performer’s career, which gradually peters out.

Hopefully with time, the delivery will do the piece justice. Until then it remains a highly enjoyable evening and one which will no doubt give the audience a new perspective on the next musical they see.

Runs until 15 April, and then 19 April

Reviewed by Bhakti Gajjar

Tiffany Graves - Review

Crazy Coqs, London

****

Tiffany Graves

For one night only, the fabulous Tiffany Graves was in cabaret at the Crazy Coqs. The stunning performer, increasingly appearing as one of our finest leading ladies offered a collection of numbers that mixed career highspots with a dash of poignancy and some fabulous comedy.

In a gorgeous evening dress and sparkling with bling Tiffany got the show underway with a nod to her magnificent Ulla in the recent tour of The Producers. It was a treat to hear When You Got It, Flaunt It for once sung without the cod Swedish accent, allowing Graves to focus on the lyrics’ inherent humour. 

A witty little number Tweet, penned by Graves (inspired by Pal Joey’s Zip) saw her give name checks to friends and associates cramming the basement venue (interest declared – I was proud to be one of the shout-outs) before easing into a spine-tingling take on Tony Hatch’s Downtown. A song for so long associated with Petula Clark, Graves, accompanied solely by Leigh Thompson on piano did away with the trademark interpretations of the 1965 chart-topper, giving the number an all-new frisson in her version.  

A nod to her current role in Kiss Me Kate led to a delicious Why Can’t You Behave, before the most enchanting of spiels led into an inspired mash-up of The Beatle’s Let It Be, with Disney’s Let It Go, Graves unleashing the full power of her remarkable belt.

Act two saw Graves return clad in a black- sequinned and closely tailored mermaid dress - which with her hair tightly cut reminded me of the look of a youthful Jamie Lee Curtis. A (mildly barbed, no names mentioned here) reference to her time in Sweet Charity kicked off the second half, that then saw the erudite Alexander Bermange take to the piano and mic for a guest spot that showcased the man's hallmark wit. 

Turning to the 1970’s Graves took the Marvin Hamlisch Bond song Nobody Does It Better, filleting the classic into ballad and belt and again giving an oh-so familiar number a wonderfully fresh interpretation.

It turned out that the night was Graves’ first wedding anniversary too (ahh..) and with devoted hubby Oliver toasting her from the crowd, who could begrudge a girl some self-indulgent romance as she closed her set with the schmaltzy (even if unquestionably sincere) I’ll Be Here With You, dedicated to her man. 

Graves’ has to bring this solo show back. Gorgeous singing along with a cabaret patter that was as revealing as it was confident and hilarious. Her witty words at one point segueing into a deliriously wonderful Words, Words, Words from The Witches of Eastwick.

When she does, don’t miss it!