317 posts
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Post by ilovewemusicals on Jun 26, 2022 6:14:44 GMT
It looks like the stage production of Spitting Image, that was previously reported to be coming to London this year, is to play at Birmingham Rep Theatre with an announcement expected at 12pm on Monday 27th June. Image above is the Rep’s teaser artwork for the show being announced and the image below is the previously revealed image for Spitting Image Live (https://metro.co.uk/2021/12/20/spitting-image-live-to-run-in-west-end-as-show-says-its-kind-on-tv-15797662/amp/)  |
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Post by Jon on Jun 26, 2022 9:33:55 GMT
Quite fitting that Spitting Image is playing in Birmingham as that's where the original series was filmed.
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Post by firefingers on Jun 26, 2022 11:02:25 GMT
I hadn't realised the modern re-imagining had been so well recieved as to warrant a stage show.
Im certainly intrigued. I know Disney supposedly never brought a stage muppet show as the puppets were too small. Avenue Q got around it by adding the puppeteer to the character (instead of hiding them).
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Post by Jon on Jun 26, 2022 11:19:07 GMT
I hadn't realised the modern re-imagining had been so well recieved as to warrant a stage show. Im certainly intrigued. I know Disney supposedly never brought a stage muppet show as the puppets were too small. Avenue Q got around it by adding the puppeteer to the character (instead of hiding them). The Spitting Image puppets are much larger compare to the Muppets apart from the costume Muppets. There will be the issue of hiding the puppeteers since the voices are done by actors. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2022 11:05:52 GMT
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Post by Jon on Jun 27, 2022 11:42:41 GMT
I would imagine it's aiming for a future life after the Rep run.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2022 11:52:54 GMT
I would imagine it's aiming for a future life after the Rep run. It was previously reported for the West End, so I guess it makes sense to have pre-WE run at the Rep with Sean Foley’s involvement. |
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Post by mkb on Jun 30, 2022 9:47:16 GMT
Anyone waiting for the public sale at noon today, I just found I could book tickets already despite not having a membership.
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Post by david on Jul 2, 2022 13:36:29 GMT
With the stage show next year, I'm hoping for some of the songs from the show. Who can ever forget the classic "The Chicken Song?
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Post by mkb on Jul 2, 2022 15:25:57 GMT
Or "I've Never Met a Nice South African".
At the time, that seemed like cutting satire, but it only works if you adopt the mindset that "South Africans" means white people, which is rather dismissive of the non-white majority.
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Post by n1david on Jul 2, 2022 18:53:48 GMT
Or "I've Never Met a Nice South African". At the time, that seemed like cutting satire, but it only works if you adopt the mindset that "South Africans" means white people, which is rather dismissive of the non-white majority. Although I think it worked at the time, because at that point, the South Africans that Brits were likely to meet would be white, because they were the only ones with the rights and means to travel. Singing "there are no nice South Africans" would be wrong, but at the time I suspect that most Brits had only met white South Africans, many of whom were at the time not very nice. |
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 31, 2023 11:49:49 GMT
First preview tomorrow.
There was a lengthy article in the Metro last week. Over 100 puppets operated by 12 puppeteers. The words are pre-recorded, and as the script keeps changing, they are constantly re-recording and inserting new bits.
As prime ministers have come and gone, the creatives have decided that it's safer to turn it into a Marvel-style story, with King Charles at the centre.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jan 31, 2023 21:48:56 GMT
First preview tomorrow. There was a lengthy article in the Metro last week. Over 100 puppets operated by 12 puppeteers. The words are pre-recorded, and as the script keeps changing, they are constantly re-recording and inserting new bits. As prime ministers have come and gone, the creatives have decided that it's safer to turn it into a Marvel-style story, with King Charles at the centre. Fully expecting this to be a stinker |
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Post by notmymuse on Feb 2, 2023 13:26:46 GMT
I saw the first preview last night. A solid 3 stars at the moment, audience reaction generally positive. One show stop in act 2 and the curtain went up late, so it finished quite late.
The main issue at the moment is the sound. All the dialogue is pre recorded and the sound mix needs serious work. Generally it's ok, but regularly you just couldn't hear the dialogue, especially certain characters. This is also a problem when the audience laugh or clap as this then drowns out the dialogue, and as it's pre recorded, the actors can't pause and wait for quiet. There were some late entries etc., but for a first preview it was pretty slick (apart from one guy clearly not knowing the dance in one scene).
Unsurprisingly, some bits work well, others less so. Suella Braverman is genius, as is the song sung while riding 4 "horses" (I won't spoil it by explaining more) but the Stormzy song needs to be cut and the Spare joke repeatedly fell flat.
I'm also not sure the premise of the show, that everything is the fault of the fools in charge, works. The question of how they get there, what structures put them there and sustain them there, and the role of citizens in that remains an elephant in the room.
But it's a fun night. The puppets are fantastic, and the voice artists great. Some nice dancing and choreography and some very funny bits. This will tighten up and improve too.
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Post by properjob on Feb 3, 2023 9:20:32 GMT
I also saw opening night and generally agree with the report above except I quite liked the Stomzy bit!
Very much a first preview. We saw more stage management on stage than we should off and there was much scribbling in notebooks by the creative team that were sat near me.
However I'm sure it will get slicker very quickly.
The puppeteers are amazing and work so hard, with dancing and many quick changes in and out of different puppets as well.
I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting but the production values were much higher than I expected.
The sound is a problem, the balance should be an easy fix but being able to adjust the pacing to match the audience reaction on the fly will be challenging.
There are only 3 writers credited and they have done a good job and it is a show rather than a series of sketches but I reckon a bigger team would have punched up the script a bit.
Well worth the visit but I think I would advice giving them a few more shows to bed it down before seeing it.
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Post by mkb on Feb 3, 2023 9:46:38 GMT
My sister said there was a technical stop last night, but she enjoyed the show a lot.
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Post by Jon on Feb 3, 2023 10:26:25 GMT
I wonder if it'll have a further life after the Birmingham run?
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Post by david on Feb 4, 2023 18:08:01 GMT
Well this was worth the early start to get down to Birmingham for today’s matinee. I think this may have been preview 3 but based on my viewing, any sound issues that they had in the previous shows appear to have been resolved as I didn’t miss anything from my row F seat and ran straight through without any technical stops. It is in really good shape early on in its run. The puppets are brilliant (the Sue lla Braverman one is definitely the standout one for me) and the cast of puppeteers do a really great job in bringing them to life.
The trio of writers in Murray, Forde and Foley have done a fantastic job in bringing the tv show to the stage with a nice mix of current and past characters from the show (with some really funny songs ). For me the majority of characters were great, though it was “Stormzy” who I thought was one of the weaker characters in the show. There are lot of characters that only make cameo appearances but it was nice to see them live rather than on the tv show.
I wasn’t entirely convinced by the premise of the breakdown of the country is the fault of the people in charge. I appreciate that sticking to a single narrative is easier to do rather than to keep responding to current changing political and social events with constant rewrites every week.
In terms of production values, I was certainly impressed by what I saw and I certainly felt I got value for my money. With a run time of around 2 hrs and 20 minutes (each Act is around 1 hour long), this kept me entertained and laughing the entire time.
There are no programmes on sale, just a free leaflet detailing the production team info.
Rating - 4⭐️
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Post by djdan14 on Feb 23, 2023 13:20:54 GMT
Anyone tell me what the loud bangs are detailed in the guidance on the reps website are?!
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Post by theatrenerd on Mar 5, 2023 13:33:32 GMT
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Post by mkb on Mar 8, 2023 2:34:07 GMT
"Idiots Assemble - Spitting Image Saves the World: Live on Stage", to give it its full title, turns out to be very enjoyable. The puppets and puppeteers are phenomenal. Act 1 is well shaped and ends with the funniest part of the show. Act 2 falls a bit flat towards the end and could do with a more rousing finale. The sound issues reported in previews have not been fixed. From the centre of row B, I lost a lot of the song lyrics and a little dialogue. Sometimes it was drowned out by music and sometimes it was simply unclear. At one point Ian McKellen's puppet was extreme stage right but his dialogue was heard stage centre. I think the array of speakers across the front of the stage were all taking the same output. A puppet -- I forget which -- exclaims that they're not Muppets, but the faux proscenium arch with box seats either side of red velvet curtains is reminiscent of the Muppet Show. Instead of Statler and Waldorf in the Royal Box, we have Harry and Meghan. There is a story of sorts, through which we are guided by Sir Ian. The sheer number of elaborate puppets, some of which appear only for seconds, is quite something to behold. As a Liverpool FC fan, I particularly enjoyed Jürgen Klopp who is killed in a xenophobic rage by Suella Braverman when she is triggered seeing his EU passport. While Braverman's puppet has rightly been singled out for praise, my top choice would be Therese Coffey. Hers is a stroke of genius. Other highlights include the performance by Carrie Johnson's "boys", the revelations about Paddington Bear, and four female Tory ministers out riding their "stallions". The set design and choreographed numbers, including a couple from Cabaret, are of a pleasingly high standard. Politically, you are more likely to enjoy this show if you are anti Tory. As with the tv show of old, Tories are attacked for being evil but Labour merely for being useless. Other advice would be to not sit too far back, as some of the characters are only two-foot tall. The show is also not for the prudish. Four stars. Act 1: 19:35-20:35 Act 2: 20:55-21:51 |
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Post by theatrenerd on Mar 21, 2023 15:41:06 GMT
Assuming this will be either a tour or London transfer being announced on Thursday.
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Post by Jon on Mar 21, 2023 15:45:38 GMT
I would guess a London run as there are a few theatres available that could easily house it
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Post by Rory on Mar 21, 2023 18:13:02 GMT
Phoenix, apparently.
12th May - 26th August.
Would have preferred Into the Woods, personally!
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Post by zahidf on Mar 23, 2023 9:01:53 GMT
Phoenix, apparently. 12th May - 26th August. Would have preferred Into the Woods, personally! Confirmed as above |
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