Review: SPIKE, Richmond Theatre

The cultural impact that Spike Milligan made on comedy cannot be underestimated. Out of the grey austerity of 1950s post-war Britain exploded a new type of anarchic and irreverent radio comedy called The Goon Show, masterminded by the mind of Milligan. Along with Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers, the trio became the influence for Monty Python, The Young Ones and a host of other absurdist comedians.

SPIKE is based on letters between Milligan and his BBC executives. Ian Hislop and his long-time writing partner Nick Newman have created an affectionate and beautifully staged portrait of the often-troubled mind of this comedy genius. The play looks at Milligan's battles with a turgid BBC to create new and radical comedy. As The Goon Show becomes increasingly successful, Milligan struggles to balance his writing demons with his deep desire to make people laugh.

The cast is pitch-perfect. Robert Wilfort strikes a sympathetic and beautiful balance between awkward romantic, traumatised ex-soldier and passionate writer as Spike Milligan. He shows the vulnerability of the man behind the laughs. Patrick Warner is excellent as the egotistical Sellers, accompanied by a very affable Jeremy Lloyd as Harry Secombe. None of the trio are trying to impersonate the men; they show the spirit of the people, rather than trying to copy them too much.

Robert Mountford is brilliant as the immovable and buttoned-up BBC executive, who thinks radio ventriloquism is a good idea and James Mack is great as various patient BBC producers. Special mention must go to Margaret Cabourn-Smith's Janet who has a ball as the creator of weird and wonderful sound effects.

The focus of the show is Milligan, his writings, but less about his poor mental health, which was a huge part of his life. The impact of the war on Milligan is given a light touch. He had bi-polar, but would have been told he was simply shell-shocked from the war. It was his instinct to turn to comedy, but the struggles he went through and were documented in later books are, perhaps, not given quite enough significance. It would have also been nice to see a little more about his relationships with the other Goons, which feel under-developed: the incident where he broke into Cook's house and threatened to kill him is rather rushed and glossed over.

Katie Lias' clever set design incorporates offices, hospital rooms, war battlefields and writing rooms while also standing as a giant radio set, using the frequency panel as a useful platform for various scenes. The browns and beiges of the fifties wardrobe are also a lovely contrast to the energy of the characters on stage. Tom Marshall's sound design deftly moves between ordinary speech, talking into microphones and perfect clarity of the brilliant sound effects.

Hislop and Newman's script is very sharp and often incredibly funny, but it is Paul Hart's direction that keeps up the almost perfect pace and momentum of the show. The staging is challenging; jumping between the battlefields of the war to life in the radio studio, but the transitions are seamless.

A touching and funny tribute, SPIKE is an accomplished and incredibly enjoyable show, whether you are a Goon fan or not.

SPIKE is at Richmond Theatre until 12 November, then touring

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith

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