Unmissable scurrilous fun that’s not for the faint-hearted
Those who thought Sir Ian McKellen was booked to appear at the Theatre Royal Windsor until mid-July are in for a surprise. For here he is, our celebrated theatrical knight, Gandalf himself – albeit not quite as large as life, but arguably twice as comical – compering the wonderfully funny Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image the Musical. It’s now playing for laughs in London after opening to delighted (and sold out) laughter in Birmingham earlier this year.
Impressionists impressing here include big-voiced Jewish comedian Jess Robinson and posh-boy impostor Luke Kempner (of The Only Way is Downton, also Jewish), both prerecorded. What’s more, all the witty musical homages are courtesy of composer and MD Alexander S Bermange, another Jewish lad, who has also topped the iTunes comedy album chart with Wit & Whimsy, an album celebrating his comedic work featuring 23 popular personalities and West End stars.
The plot takes us back to the lead up to the Coronation, which is threatened by "the fraying of the fabric of society" (aka a pair of M&S underpants). So His Majesty must call in a tiny Tom Cruise to lead a team representing society’s iconic heroes: from Greta Thunberg to Idris Elba (here well up for playing Bond) and Conservatives (Suella Braverman) to Labour politicians (Angela Rayner). Prince Harry (assiduously plugging his book) and Meghan look on from the Royal Box and Prince Andrew lowers the tone. The heroes’ mission? To thwart the evil plans of Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and other high-profile villains and save the day for King Charles. Among the on-message musical jokes are 'Putin on the Ritz’. That one will run and run.
It’s not for the po-faced or easily shocked. But if a mercilessly clever, scurrilous script (courtesy of writers Al Murray, Matt Forde and Sean Foley, who also directs, with the gleefully evil genius of original caricaturist Roger Law still behind them) can tempt you, make sure you see this. Animated by the breathtaking skills of dancing puppeteers (I defy you to work out where the puppets end and live limbs begin), 110 celebrity puppets play out on a versatile, fantastical set enhanced by Nina Dunn’s videos. They're brilliantly choreographed by Lizzi Gee and costumed fabulously by Lotte Collett.
These are puppets with pedigree too, blessed with the genius of Mikey Brett, puppet casting director (I kid you not), who has worked with the Handspring Puppet Company (Warhorse) and Jim Henson's Muppets. Also pulling the strings is puppet master Scott Brooker, from the original Spitting Image TV show and 2005 film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It all makes for unmissable viewing. The comic climax sees a chorus line of, er, puppet penises that reduced me to tears of laughter. You have been warned!
By Judi Herman
Photos by Mark Senior
Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image the Musical runs until Saturday 26 August. 7.30pm, 2.30pm (Thu & Sat only). From £25. Phoenix Theatre, WC2H 0JP. spittingimagethemusical.com