Westside was once again the destination of the national press as journalists arrived to review Spitting Image at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
The production was heralded as “dazzling” by The Times, “a pleasure to watch” by The Guardian, “impressive” by The Stage, and “fantastic” by comic website Chortle.
The plot is simple yet strangely believable: King Charles is so dismayed at the dismal state of society – literally represented by a pair of soiled underpants – that he calls on Tom Cruise and Ru Paul to assemble a magnificent seven to bring down those responsible.
The baddies are led by Boris Johnson, supported by a schoolboy Rishi Sunak, plus Donald Trump, Mohamed Bin Salem, Rupert Murdoch, Elon Musk and – hilariously – James Corden.
Plot aside, the reviewers were entranced by the accurate depictions in the latex puppets, the impersonations and the technical skills.
Tim Bano of The Stage wrote: “It’s impressive to see 106 beautifully crafted puppets over the course of two hours, especially when manipulated by just 12 performers …
“It’s a strange mix of incredibly topical … Paddington Bear is a ragged Peruvian drug-dealer, eyes practically falling off his head, while Suella Braverman is possessed in the manner of Regan MacNeil from The Exorcist, orgasming at the idea of repelling migrant boats …
“Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson sing the Edith Piaf standard Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien in front of pictures and headlines from the past catastrophic few years. Then Margaret Thatcher is dragged out of hell …
“The best thing is the puppets, which, despite their fixed expressions, seem to take on all countenances as their grey-suited manipulators dance them around the stage.”
Steve Bennett of Chortle writes: “With its fantastic latex caricatures brought to life by astonishingly talented puppeteers and gifted impersonators, the live version of Spitting Image is a triumph of technical ingenuity … there’s plenty to enjoy … several memorable set pieces making the most of the theatrical setting and the caricaturists’ art.
“Among them are the Circle Of Life parody, Circle Of Jerks, parading strange and creepy creatures from the Tory ranks … the parody of the Queen’s Paddington sketch or the gloriously bad-taste song-and-dance number that has Carrie Johnson explaining how men think with their dicks. Even an obvious song parody such as Putin On The Blitz shines with its glitz, commitment and inventive Cossack dancing.
“Many of the best gags are visual, or stem from the creation of exaggerated yet strangely credible personas. Suella Braverman as a Victorian doll-child possessed by a Satanic force is surprisingly credible, Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg make excellent cameos, Keir Starmer is so delightfully boring he even makes grey John Major look charismatic.”
Rachael Healy of The Guardian writes: “Spitting Image is a spectacle. The puppetry is a pleasure to watch … The excellent puppeteers are the stars of this two-hour staging of the popular TV satire, where Paddington plays an evil powerbroker …
“The stage show has an advantage over its TV counterpart – seeing the puppets up close is impressive. The puppeteers are the stars, deftly manipulating characters for dance numbers and slow-motion sequences (the fight scene starring Tom Cruise is a highlight).
“Working in sync with the actors, who nail most of their impressions, it’s an impressive choreography. The staging is striking too, taking us from Buckingham Palace to Ukraine, via the sky and sea.
“Pleasingly weird puppets offer the freshest material: a sinister Paddington Bear with protruding eyes who acts as adviser to King Charles, Rees-Mogg as an enormous praying mantis and Suella Braverman as a maniacally giggling girl from The Ring.”
The paywalls on some national titles prevent long excerpts, but the headline comments from two others are worth repeating. The Times: “Dazzling … expertly brought to life … This is a stunning technical achievement.” The Daily Telegraph: “Mission impossible – yet accomplished”.
● Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World is at the Birmingham Rep until 11 March. For ticket information, click here.
