I was aware of him as sort of quite a extraordinary figure but
I didn't know the scripts very well of the Goon show and my
colleague. Nick Newman said to me.
These are really, really funny and I went back and he was
right. Which is strange because,
normally, obviously he's he's wrong about everything.
We then put together this show about this amazing period in the
1950s. Now, don't let me catch you
wearing my boots again. There's no I doubt he was a
difficult man to deal with. And a lot of the play is is
focusing on the relationship. He had with the BBC listening to
a word. I'm saying no sir.
Oh it's been a joyous, couple of years.
Putting it putting it together writing.
This play was a huge pleasure and we wanted to write a
feel-good play. Most plays about comedians or
writers are oh, he was really miserable really, and here's
some miserable stuff about how miserable he was and we thought
we'd I really want to do that. We wanted to write a play about
how brilliant it was. The important thing is we want
people to come out of the theater with a warm glow because
you know, it'll save on your heating bills.
Hello and welcome to kompot spike is the hit play by Nick
Newman m in Islam. And it is currently touring the
UK and enjoying packed houses. Everywhere it goes, it looks at
the life of Spike Milligan, specifically during what was
arguably his most creative period.
The 1950s in, the Goon show, Regular listeners will recall
that earlier this year, I interviewed Nick Newman Margaret
cable and Smith and John Doug leash during the plays initial
run. And I'm delighted to say that
back in September. I managed to grab an hour with
the show's new Leading man, the actor Robert Wilfred.
So you're into second week of as we're recording Unity second
week of playing spike in the play of the same name.
Yes, that's right by in his locker and Nick Newman and we're
in we're Movin. And then the lovely more
Festival theater. This is this episode's going to
go out in a few weeks. But yeah the week that we're
recording is a we quite unlike any that we've seen I guess for
ever really, it's the week of its leading up to the funeral of
the queen is yes. Has that had any sort of effect
on the audience, attendance, or mood, or anything like that?
I don't know about attendance. They don't, they don't tend to
tell you whether what the numbers are, like, but it
certainly was, we were last Thursday when she announced that
she died. So we were, you could definitely
feel a kind of tension in your immediate start especially after
it being announced that she died.
We start, we have to start the show.
It was, it was established. The theaters of Great Britain
were told you can stay open the royal family of said they wanted
to show to go on but we had a two-minute silence national
anthem before the show which is just and then it was kind of it
felt a little bit like a now on the last folks, it did feel a
little bit, it took them a little while to warm up, and I
think by the interval, you know, once the news and kind of sunk
in, and they had a drink and they came back, and they
realized that, you know, it's still fine to enjoy yourself.
It's real. Can you still can, you can
interview if you want to be respectful, you still can, but I
think it's not No one's saying, you can't know.
Absolutely. And we had to do a few
last-minute rewrites because there was a little mention of or
two about the royal family, which we thought wasn't
particularly, it wasn't nothing too bad at all.
But we just thought any joke related.
Probably was not the right time to do it.
So in a - a quick little be right between managed to work in
and announced change very much. So yes, it affected the play in
that way but I think ever since I think it's been fine.
Yeah, I haven't like I don't think I'm noticing any
particular change now, spread spare espera thought for your
colleagues who are appearing in Wicked at the moment.
If you heard about this, no, no, and I hope I've got this right,
and no disrespect meant at all, but I was reading on Twitter
that obviously Wicked, I think, is it on in the West End at the
moment? Yeah, and I think the same as
with you guys. They under Thursday that the His
death was announced, they held a minute silence or a couple in
silence and play the national anthem but the problem is with
Wicked. So I believe from what I'm
reading. The first lines in the play.
She's dead. She's dead but actually actually
what it was. Yeah, we did have a slight
moment where we play some extracts from the goons as the
audience is kind of coming in and sitting down.
So we thought, well, after the national anthem, we can't go
straight into the show. It will be a bit weird, so we'll
have a little pause and then we'll carry on playing a few
more bits of the goons. And then, we'll come on and do
the show. And the first line after the
national anthem was Harry going, are we all having fun?
And I think about what he's saying.
He was a death's door. Are we going well, why didn't
you knock so? So yeah, we open all.
Okay, maybe we could, we could have judged what quick we were
going to actually do a bit so that you can happen on the
second night. I'm just trying to think of the
most overt reference to the queen on the Goon show.
No, I guess it must be from the episode, The starlings, where
Peter Sellers does play a very thinly veiled.
Yes, Eric and that's, that's what we.
That's what we referenced in the script.
That was the Duchess boil despite swell the words
referenced and someone saying it's obviously the queen.
So we just decided to just thought Even though the joke
particularly wasn't disrespectful, we just thought
you know, it would take people out of it, we don't, you know,
so I think that's probably gone for the rest of the tour.
But it's, I think it's better to be safe than sorry.
Really absolutely, absolutely. So so will obviously start
talking about the talk about the play in a moment, but in terms
of yourself, before you actually landed this role-playing Spike
Milligan had had Spike Milligan as a person as a, as a Really
figured in your life in any respect and your was he in your
Consciousness in any large? Yeah, yeah, yeah, he absolutely
was. I was a big fan, my dad.
I think like a lot of people of think we're roughly about the
same age. I'm 45.
I think a lot of people of Our Generation.
It might be our parents who were the first big fans, but my dad
and his brother were absolutely huge Spike friends.
I think it was, you know, like the defining activity of goons
was like the defining comedy. Moment for them.
It was like I think my dad was born in 33.
Okay. So I think is about kind of like
late teens early 20s, when the goons started sweetly just kind
of like this is it. My dad was in like spiking to
Jazz as well as simply this generation that kind of got Jazz
and got yes and gots but this time a free-form comedy that was
just like this is it this is my thing and you know you're going
to work the next day and find the person or school as other
for a lot of people who who got the joke with you listen to it
and you knew that you were immediate.
You know that was it your friends for Contributed to
getting together. So my dad was a big fan but I
don't remember actually listening to the goons very much
as a child. I don't know whether it was very
accessible. You may have had one or two
tapes but he wasn't like playing them obsessively to us.
But I always remember Spike, just kind of being there as part
of my kind of Comedy background. I loved watching any clips from
q that ever got. Put on and I remember, I
remember having a book of his limericks, which I thought were
hilarious. Small Speck had eight or nine
and his poems. And so, yeah, anytime Spike was
on, you know, we watch it or any kind of tributes to spike or
anything he was doing. So, yeah.
And then being kind of getting more into kind of comedy and
being, you know, bit of a comedy nerd.
You just realized how everyone was saying, how influential he
was. And you realize how much in fact
is all the stuff that you like my Monty Python and and and and
Vic and Bob. Some people like that.
So yeah. So when so when the, when the
opportunity came up, I kind of grabbed at it.
Really is doing it. A party for me and party for my
dad, who, sadly passed away a couple years ago.
But kind of like, in honor of my dad, I thought I've got to do
this job and kind of do try and do to the best of my duty.
Great. Okay.
And so, so what, what, what sort of Comedy where you're growing
up with? You know, what are you really
into python? We went to Vic and Bob, yeah,
love. Love.
Pison made, my, what was great about.
My dad was, he was kind of, he kind of moved.
Moved with the times as well. So he's helped me fairly later.
He was kind of, like, in his kind of, when I was about 10 11,
he was in his early 50s, but he loved alternative comedy as
well. So it was so we'd sit and watch
the young ones together, which I know a lot of people's parents
didn't like that. My dad was sick there, rolling
about Alexei sayle. So yeah, the Young, The Young
Ones was a huge influence on me when I was little and bottom and
oh, yeah. But then, but then but where we?
But then, when we parted ways was Vic and Bob my dad just
didn't get the kebab and then I Absolutely worship and I just
thought they were the funniest thing and absolutely love them.
So, they were my kind of Comedy Heroes, I know.
And, and then that separate kind of offshoot that and day-to-day
Chris Morris, and that, and that it was.
So those are my kind of Comedy touchstones, really?
Absolutely. Yeah, and Alan Partridge and
that's that's kind of my generation.
Yes. And it's like always bubbling
away in the background and then you always will have kind you
can see it kind of bubbling bubbling through into in So
everything really when you go back and listen to the goons and
everything, you see? Yes there's that.
There's that. You did that joke first but you
know from the sea did it first? Yeah, it's just brilliant.
Yeah, I mean Spike had a bit of a low opinion of quote
alternative comedy General. He did he did which is a shame.
It's a shame, I think I think you did go a bit grumpy old man
towards the end of me. But again he's an older
generation again from my for my dad, you know.
He's born in 1918. So yes, no, he really wasn't.
It really wasn't for him. That kind of Comedy but I think
I think there's a lot in there. I think people saw it as all
kind of swearing and farting but there's so much absurdism in the
young ones and stuff that I do thought Spike might've
appreciated on that level. If you got me figured giving it
the time. Yeah.
But if you look if you look again look at all the best bits
of Q you think this is genius but you watch it's like with
Monty Python's Flying Circus you watching you watch an average
episode of Flying Circus and maybe 30, 40 percent of it is
Great. And then the rest of it is a bit
me. Can't it can't all be gold it
can. And and and it's certainly
that's certainly true for you. I've watched a few kind of full
episodes for this and it's gonna be go.
Okay, well, I can see what you're trying to do.
There doesn't work but I can see what you're trying to do and
sometimes you can't see what the digital and then sometimes you
say something they do G and yes, and you have to kind of gloss
over that and pretend you ever pretend you haven't noticed?
Yeah. Absolutely.
So that's Spike. The play it Had his first run
earlier this year at the Water Mill theater.
There's yeah. And so you weren't involved with
that and there was John Douglas. She was playing Spike and he's
obviously not not, not take up the role now and you have.
So how did, how did the whole, how did it come about?
Did you approach that somebody refer you or how did this come
about? Yeah, I had worked with the, in
a Nick, in the past, on a radio play called trial by laughter,
which then Turned into a theater paper.
Wasn't involved with the theater show but I work with them.
Had a very nice time working with them.
I think they'd see me in something on telly and enjoyed
my performance of got me in for that.
Yeah. And then I wasn't, I didn't
originally audition for the first run of this, that just
kind of happened. I didn't see it either, by fear,
it was very good and I kind of thought I would have liked to
been seen for that. I seemed I was possibly too old.
He whispered, he whispered, I'm actually probably about pushing
it to play Spy. Could be hit you cross out about
10 years, older? I think many wasn't so I'm not
too old for it is fine. But then and then I thought they
announced it was going on tour with John doing it.
Then I think I'm not entirely sure what happened.
I think John John had something else that clashed with it I
think I think it was all set to do it but then another job came
up and clashed and saying for the originality of hey, Peter
Sellers in it. So it came up that I've I assume
in Put my name, forward for it, and said, we work with him.
We're thinking like this, but I auditioned that it is, umm,
audition for some of the producers and Rob our assistant
director. And then they rang up the next
day with an offer. So I suggest please okay.
Yeah. I don't like I said, I don't
know how many people like we're up against it with me.
Yeah, I think I think because I've had that previous work
connection with the internet. I think that helped me get
through the door. Oh, I've lost you again.
Okay. Do you want to just pause it a
second and maybe I can try and go somewhere and find some
better wi-fi. Okay.
Sure. Okay.
Because we do want to keep doing this but I think my Wi-Fi keeps
going but I think if I go to another room hopefully there's
no one around. Okay, I'll take on a guided tour
to through more than the festival theater.
Go up the stairs up, the stairs. I think, if I go to our
community, Dressing room, he won't mind.
He's a nice boy broadcast. Seems to have full Wi-Fi now.
So fingers crossed perfect this works.
So I don't know if you want to pick up from anywhere.
Yes. A bit of color but I'm having to
change map and all that markets, dressing room.
So I may be interested in number one, but the wife that's rubbish
right where they get better wi-fi.
So I mean, I'm in every month while we talk.
She's not a Margaret's dressing room enjoying on that?
No, no, I need anybody. And I don't know if that's going
to be father's going to assign before.
Yeah, so you're not, you said you're not done too much
theater. No I haven't.
No, not really through choices. Just how your career kind of
pans out. Really, I've done more TV and
film and theater. I'm going to play for about six
or seven years, and I haven't been apart this big in a play.
Certainly not professionally. So I think they've taken a bit
of a punt on me, which I'm eternally grateful for.
And I hope I'm rising to the challenge of doing it, but yeah,
that was part of the reason for taking the job.
I just thought I'd and parts like this, don't come along very
often so I can to kind of grab it, really sure.
And yeah, so what did you do in terms of without what it has a
10? Just but finding the character,
how did you find Spike? How do I find him with his
house? His house hard to talk.
That tiny pretentious is mean, I don't I so I try to watch any
kind of As much archive from the time of him being himself, not a
character which is which is not that much.
There's a lot of him when he's older.
Yeah. Even every seemed every other
week he was on compensation or or Terry wogan but that's the
kind of different spike. I wanted to find the young spike
in there are few archived interviews.
There's, there's a great one, he's talking to, I can't
remember. He launches into a whole routine
about the first, the first British, man in space, when he's
meant to be just giving an interview, but He can't help
himself, he goes off and starts acting out this whole scene for
that basically the whole of the interview.
So even then he's on, I like things to be done quickly,
right? Like the idea, you know, I like
just to think of the idea I think.
Well, that's it. I put out of the way.
How can I put it for instance, let me say I'm a rocket that let
us suppose that those rocket first English astronaut.
That's right. The first thing first, astronaut
is going to be fired into space. It's about And they British
government have bought on the HP American secondhand rocket.
And they've been drawn lots to who goes in it, and it's a
captain Martin trust who's goes in and eat.
It's morning, it's gone. You see on ones with flats and
the rockets there and BBC, then a wonderful day here and they
are. As I stand here, I can see the
great iron Gantry being pulled back from the rocket with its
three stage Miss I was in place, and any moment.
Now, they have the cord, which contacts him to the ground will
be shared, and he will have no contact with the ground, except
by radio, to let her kill telephonic communication.
I believe the countdown has started, so we ought to go to
the ground control, which is under the Aegis of the American
national command over here as idea to Ground Control here
because our daughter started now, and from extremists who won
now starting at the countdown. Now, ten nine, eight, seven,
One, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero.
These are strange interview, he's talking to Robert Robinson
and um he's on is it's a normal interview but he seems to be on
a floating chair which nobody nobody discusses that, it's
chair kind of moves up and around and Robert Robinson
follows him around while we're talking but nobody mentions that
which is a lovely little Spike patch.
There's an interview from the I want to say the mid-70s I
watched it for a long time. Face your image and I think it.
Oh yes. I watched a bit of that.
Yes, as well as that is that with dimbleby?
Yes. Where he's kind of very serious
as it is. Yeah.
And there's the business him and he does a psychiatrist chair one
as well which is quite kind of serious.
So those are all helpful and and then I watched some of his early
TV stuff and listen to a lot of the goons and read a biography
or two. Yeah.
And I thought, I suppose what I'm trying to do on stage is not
do an impression of him. He's got quite a distinctive
voice, which I've tried to catch a bit old, but I don't know if I
could sustain it for the whole play.
Plus the play is kind of like our version of Spike.
It's not like he was exact copy of what Spike was.
Like, it's kind of, you know, it's it's a fictionalized
versions. But so I've tried to capture
more to kind of, hopefully the kind of essence of him and his
energy more than an exact. Painstaking, we creation of
exactly how he sounded. So, I think that would should
open mad really, and, and kind of tighten it.
So, I tried to capture the kind of the energy, the spike Enos
the, in both ways, actually, that's a good pun was intended,
purpose. The spike Enos and yeah, the the
manic energy when he's up. And then what?
He's Lightning, Crashes down and and, and try to capture the
physicality of him as much as possible.
But yeah, but not being kind of a slave to a kind of
impersonation, is what I'm trying, what I'm trying to To
do. And that's possibly Mike's,
that's possibly my excuse for people coming in, but we doesn't
sound like him will intellectually.
It's not just big interpretation, so don't ask for
your money back. Like that you are right.
He he would adopt slightly different voices depending on
his mood, he does. Yeah, I know he works he would
even he was always putting on voices, you know?
So and we do that in the play, you know, where he was.
It's when he's on and when he's off, when will the finding the
moments of Reels? Real spike is actually quite
difficult. I think Apart from islay to
interviews are like you said, like in the psychiatrist,
sharing their, when he's being quite open.
I wanted to track down that documentary he made about his
depression, but I couldn't find it.
I don't know. Didn't seem to be online that I
could find. I would have liked to watch
that. Maybe the BFI may have had it by
have time to going to go and search that out.
But that's what I really would have liked to watch.
He made a documentary in the 70s didn't me about.
I may be able to source that for you in center.
Now, I'd really like to see that.
That would be that would be interesting.
I'll make a note to I haven't got it myself but I know someone
who may have it. Can I can get it like a find
someone on the dark web, the dark, Google wave, where copies
of the Melting Pot change hands for 25 pounds.
Did you watch The Melting Pot by the way at all?
Which is a terrible sitcom that even no.
No no, no. I know I did I haven't watched
Korean chips. I die quietly.
Yeah I didn't touch this kind of like we all know there's that
side to him and I don't really To go there.
It's kind of just pretend not, not pretend that doesnt.
I think he can accept that. You have to accept that along
with it. You know we're this is a, the
play is set firmly in the goons times.
We don't really cover that, but it was just, I don't know, it's
funny. I kind of I don't know where it
comes from his bike. I don't feel like it comes from
a place of full-blown racism. I just I just think he thought
it was funny to do the voices and and do which it is.
Didn't you got to accept it isn't?
But he thought that it was you've got to accept that kind
of that, that was his take on it but I don't think it comes from
a place of, you know, kind of hatred or anything.
And I I just think he likes doing.
I think he just likes doing an Indian voice.
I just think that I can do it because I think it's funny and
like I'll do this I'll do the sketch about the Scottish
policeman or whatever. But I'll do it in black face
because I think that's funny but you know that you can question
that judgment but I don't know is yeah it's interesting where
it comes from. As a kind of cosmic Instinct.
But yeah. Well, the thing is, I mean,
yeah, I'm just a couple of years older than you, and I grew up on
a diet of British comedy. Although, now through modernized
through contemporary eyes, you watch things, certain things
like that, and you, yeah, you kind of cringe.
And, yeah, get all but, but, but I remember, I just think back to
when I was 14 or 15 which was 30 plus years ago and it's like
watching things like that. That then and things like even
like the goodies where they would sometimes do blackface,
and things like that. Yeah.
At the time, it just kind of just, I wouldn't say go went
over my head but I just didn't, yeah, registered that it was
that there was anything particularly with it and it's
the whole that I hate. The whole thing is like, oh well
Spike would be cancelled if he tried to do that.
Now would be canceled and he say what he wouldn't do that.
Now, he'd be part of this generation who don't do exactly
exactly like that. And nobody would let him do it.
So so I hate it. Fake cancel culture argument,
you don't inspect that kind of people tie themselves in knots
over. It's just kind of, you know this
face. Anyway, let's move away from
that, let's move away from that. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
I just watched it, I mean, it's a great research period, really
just watching the funny tricks of Spike and and listening to
lots of the goons and reacquainting myself with the
goons. Which, like I said, I always
kind of knew, but I didn't really know if, you know, if you
know, I mean, I knew, I knew the characters and I knew, I mean,
there was a period I think during the lockdown, right?
I always seem to be in my car. I was doing something on a
particular time when Radio, 4 extra playing the goons.
So I would II just a couple of years ago.
I started listening to it again. I'm thinking this is just, this
is just brilliant. It's just brilliant.
And I can I see why everyone is obsessed with it because it's
just glorious. Yeah, when I first spoke to Nick
and Nick Newman who obviously, co-wrote, this with Ian, his
loved one of the things, I think he said from memory, because
with God, it's nearly nine months ago.
Good God, yeah. He said that he was surprised
and he will obviously tons of hit grown up listening to the
goons. I think he was, he grew up in
Singapore, something like that. Okay.
And he grew up exposed to stuff like the games, but he's, I
think he said he wasn't, he hadn't realized quite how
cutting and satirical and topical.
Hmm. They had been and he cited the
episode 1985 which was based on 1984, which had been televised
by the BBC. Literally, I think three weeks
before the goons did their version.
Yeah. And and yeah, if you listen to
the uncut gun shows the, you know, the ones that weren't
released as LPS and had Paul. Yeah, book references removed,
there's a hell of a lot of satire and yeah, and I would
argue that, you know, forget beyond the friend, I would say
the goons were the fathers of British that I really yeah,
absolutely. I think that's why in and Nick
of kind of quite taken to it because they're, you know, the
satirist Supreme so yes. Yeah, we do and we and the show
kind of Not giving too much away climaxes with 1985.
We redo concert on stage. Yeah, you know, I was blown away
when I listened to it actually is a pretty this just fantasy, I
died. The idea that he rustled up the
couple of weeks after it and being on pleasure in presenting
those glamorous, grandmother's the three Beverly sisters
correction the Beverly. Twin Miss Beverly were saying
everybody done. I mean, the work ethic is just
he's just incredible. They would do knees every week.
I just find it. You know, you get you do one and
then start again on Monday and start writing the next one.
I just think it's just yeah, edible ringing.
Yeah. Except I haven't seen the play
yet because of geographical Reasons.
I'm hoping to see to see when you are in Blackpool because
that's fantastic. Probably the closest that to me.
Yes I'm based in the Northwest and I but I you know I kind of
have a an idea as to as to what the play is about.
Beasley, but I don't know the finer details.
You know, do you have many scenes where you're having to
sort of Channel, some, dark emotions, or is it is it fairly
light? Most of the time, it's over
overall, it's fairly light. I think.
Even in Nick, like, just described it as a celebration, I
think they wanted to, I didn't think they wanted to go down too
far, down the route of the BBC four I think someone described I
thought maybe it was Margaret, I think described it is crying and
wanking. Genre of That's right.
Like, I think it was Margaret on this, on your, on your, on your,
on your show, probably. So I steal that from Margaret.
I don't even want to go too far down that road, but it doesn't
avoid the struggles that he had, we do.
We do show him in st. Luke's in the men in the mental
hospital. It was in for a while, we do
show him, go break down. So because that's, that's part
of the stories. And it's essential part of a
story. I think so.
They and we, and we don't sugarcoat Spike either.
We showed that he could be quite difficult to work with and he
was Could be a right pain in the ass sometimes so we celebrate
the work, but try and give a fuck kind of Fairly fairly
truthful. Portrait of him as a man, I
think sugar and the effect it had on his marriage as well.
That's all that's all in there. But also with Spike and I think
as it would have been with spiking me life is jokes, you
can through, you know, all the, all the kind of the doubt, the
dark bits of the side B. You still going to have the
jokes because, you know, that's what he would have been doing
sure in terms of the audience's that you've had the last couple
of Of weeks. Yeah, have they tended to be
more the older demographic or have you had lots of younger
people coming? I think so.
I think I think, to be honest, I think it is the older
demographic coming in because they're away.
I'm surprised the amount of people, I've actually explain
some people at my age, have to explain spiked if you're not
particularly in the, in the words of appreciating comedy,
you might not really know who he is.
Even even. Yeah.
Even like people who have rho. I've got a.
Yeah, I figured, then once you do again, so I think that's kind
of like This kind of way in an energy HD technique, 20 years
isn't even dead 20 years. So yeah, so I think that's
partly why in and Nick wanted to get it out there to just go look
what he did to look, but I think I have seen younger people in,
and I think people, I think there are parents coming in come
and see this come and listen to this.
And I think they wrote their art, there are young fans of
them out there, but yeah, so II don't think it would say, with
full of it's full of young. Kids getting their kicks from
Spike for the first time. I think.
I think it is an older demographic and that's Fine,
it's not a fixed all about, it's all about the youth.
It's not all about BBC three, yes, yes, yeah, yeah,
absolutely. Now I know you weren't in the
first run of the play but do you know, have I get the impression?
I get the feeling in a Nick met of added, added or expanded or
tweaks, the script. Yes, yes, yeah, yeah.
I believe they have, yeah, I didn't see, I haven't seen any
glass button, the one I've got. But when, when all the returning
cast members came to join us, Is something that's new, that's
nearly all have to learn that. So I think it has been expanded,
not not hugely, but I think extra bits of been added.
And apparently it has made, it has kind of taken up an option
and I think they just worked in some more Spike jokes that we
didn't get around to doing the first time, right?
Thanks to a b and therefore, the spike aficionados, that didn't
make it in the first time, okay? Now just I wanted as well
because I noticed that again, apologies, if I'm completely
wrong here, but I got the impression.
In that his wife, June didn't feature in the first run but she
does in this run, as I know, I think no June was always in it,
but I think that is how we see things work because the cast is
expanded a bit more to Myra cecum.
Yeah, as trade, by the wonderful tasting, couturier in this
production because because we're now on tour and it's a longer
process. They were able to expand the
cast out. So we've got cast in playing
some other characters but they're also under studying some
of the Gerbils because you need that, we need that protection.
When you want all those, they actively make basically they
can't afford understudies that there was no theater.
It was so, so, so so we've got a weird.
So apart from me taking over a spike and they're fantastic.
Patrick Walnut, taking over is Peter.
We've got all of the original cast and in three new actors who
are in playing playing various other roles and understudying us
and Peter, Jukes was able to go on last week because as Peter
Sellers because Patty are Peter was getting married.
So congratulations to Patti, got married, last weekend's, and
Peter Dukes stepped in, and gave a fantastic performances.
Be settled, that's already. We've had the understudies come
on and it's it's been exciting. Exciting.
Last weekend's yesu, everyone. In the cast is just on it and
just the loveliest people to work with all the original cast
and just being so welcoming to us new loans.
But yeah, yeah, Patrick is great, you can do all the voices
but he's kind of finding something.
For an in Peter the man and and and Jesse's got this amazing
infectious how he seek Him laughs, but just kind of barrels
through these scenes Harry, is this this kind of warm
effervescent presents bubbling through the whole, the whole
play in between Peter and spikes, kind of slightly more
antagonistic relationship. So, so, yeah, it was a
wonderful, lovely, warm performance with Jeremy and,
and, and a brilliant performance and Patrick as PT.
Yeah, they just were having a lovely time.
I'm doing it. Yeah, I would argue that even
though he really did the one voice which was an extension of
his own, I would argue that playing Harry seek Him is
possibly the biggest challenge may be because yeah, voice and
that Giggle, and yes, and the singing as well.
Yeah, and you know, Jamie's at trained singers, he can, he can
be can belt it out, he's got the voice and he's got that.
He's got the energy. And that's, that's and that's
been a big rediscovery for me, actually listening to the shows
because I think we are generation.
Harry seeking the block of Highway.
Yeah. And and Oliver and I think he's
always been a bit kind of dismissed as though, they were
two Geniuses in the goons, and then this heretic images to.
But when you listen to the shows, he's brilliant is
absolutely brilliant and it's got the energy that just drives
it along the, you know, it would, it wouldn't work without
without Harry. They're being being very funny
but also being a brilliant straight man and and you can
hear the joy of performance in his voice.
Which which, you know, you can hear you can, you know, Peter,
Peter, I mean, sellers is just incredible, just incredible
diversity, but but it's, it's just so kind of perfect even
when he corpses, you know, even when he caught me and everyone
who goes, its kind of you never really lose it.
But when you hear how he laughs, and, and the way that it just
brings just kind of, yeah, I know it's a joy.
Yeah. What happened to the band?
Where's only stops clapping? Well, that's our new economy
cut. Orchestra 14 Men, playing one
instrument is mrs. Greenslade.
I get the laughs in the show. I wear the funny bunny.
Now, just his Meek Mill. Pushing us for now, I'll take it
right now then just, he'll this boa constrictor.
Now, so we are subjects adjacent is capture that hugely in this.
Just getting back to you talk about Patrick, doing all the
voices. Yeah.
What about you did you know? I am assuming you do many
banners to do Echols. Do?
Yeah, minion Echoes get an airing yes.
So I just again, listened listened a lot and try to watch
him. Do the voices as well, to see
what he does with his kind of body in his face while he, but
he doesn't. And I mean that, Funny as it is,
if I'm part, I liked him singing voices.
So I tried to do them. It's much.
Like, I don't, we don't get to do because I think he's a later.
Introduction is one of my favorites is, I didn't even know
the name of the character. Is he called Jin?
He calls everyone, Jim Jim, Jim sprigs.
That's, that's yes, yes. Because everyone else Jim and
his voice and he sings and he say a line in and sing it again.
Which is one of my favorite. That's right, I just love it.
I just love it. But unfortunately, we don't, I
work in a little bit in one of the scenes, but we don't get to
do well, this shit's on that's curious because that's that
voice. Mike.
Would you often in just normal conversation Spike would do a
variation of that voice? Yeah you hear a lot and he just
does it all the time daddy. And he would do he would do the
William mate voice that sellers would do?
Yeah, I think I do. Why do I speak a bit about in as
well, for once before? When you see things like?
I love that for us as well. Yeah, I've been watching you
when you watch two spikes career kind of go, right?
He's got a few set voices that he just likes to do.
If one of them is y'all, I'll make that kind of voice and then
you've got the kind of, um, a placement, a voice.
And, and, and yeah, and yeah, getting to know many and Henry
is just being loved those scenes.
Yeah, it means there's endless. Seems that go on at them trying
to open doors and going up and down.
And then, they seem very useful despite because they didn't take
a lot of thought, in terms of writing, yes.
Because a guy, imagine it was just written.
You can tell they just improvised improvising and, and,
and yeah. So I've come to it, I've come to
the goons kind of Fairly fairly fresh and just been.
Absolutely kind of bold over, really good.
Just how have funny that I just yeah coming at it from an
actor's point of view. I just Little character touches
that are in there. I just love, I just love that
many calls, everyone buddy, and it's never explained, but she
just likes to call everyone else, buddy, and, or is it
explained? I don't know.
Many is many is trying to stay hip.
Yes, she's trying to be the 1950s.
She's trying to be down with the kids or whatever the 1950s
equivalent. Every doesn't like it.
Diving in the, but the anything many is full of contradictions
because, well, we know that she's a loose woman, we know
that she's yeah, yeah. Yeah.
She said, dalliances in the past, she's also very influenced
by what she reads in the red Top's.
You know? Salacious newspapers.
Yes, they were all built. The kill us in our beds that
happen. That's it, that's it.
Yeah, yeah. She's a very complex character
is Henry, is fairly one note, but well together.
Yeah, wonderful. Have you had any real challenges
with this role in terms of anything that you really
struggled to get over? I don't know if that's how the
whole thing has been has been challenging and and it's been
trying to find the kind of because spike is constantly
firing jokes out to the show. It's trying to find a way of
kind of doing that but also marrying it with him as a real
person. So he's not just here, he comes
and does a joke, joke, joke, joke joke.
So I think that's been the kind of biggest Just kind of like,
we're just, where does the real? Spy Kendall performing Spike
begin. Yes.
And then there's been other challenges because Russia is
actually really quite technical. Is this is seems a summer seems
quite short and snappy, and there's lots of, there's lots of
food. We have some kind of movement he
sections. And I'm Shelby, our movement
advisor was sad, possibly not the greatest dancer in the
world, but I'll try. I'll try God damn it.
We've had like, dancey bits and kind of movement, he sex, yet.
And where we try and you just quite hard to show writers on on
stage and on screen. It's kind of like that.
Here's a man staring at a typewriter so we try to do,
we've tried to tell that in a kind of more interesting way.
So we have some more kind of, and if and funny way as well,
you know, to be of some kind of movement to b.
B represents spikes, struggle with writing the script.
So so those aspects have been have been quite challenging as
well. But a spoke to John degli.
She I think he said that he had to play the trumpet.
And scene. Do you have to do that?
I do but I only had it. I didn't have that.
I think I think John may have had a little bit of practice
before was I have not played the trumpet.
So what I will be honest, I mine so I didn't want it.
I didn't I didn't want to just play the trumpet badly or have
the risk of pain. So I do mine but what I did do
was try my best to figure out what the fingering would be and
we had our tail, our music. Visor came and showed me how to
hold the trumpet, what to do with your fingers.
So I've been practicing how to mine the trumpet but I don't
actually play the trumpet. I think it's a step too far just
don't think I could have got good enough in the time scale
that we that we had it's just safer for everyone to have it
recorded his Spike. The brilliant Trumpeter and me
again for yeah we played it's a farmer but yeah but I heard the
joint did actually go to come back.
Tim, you know, I dedicated actor like Meryl Streep, then you
don't polish and German to play again, Sophie's choice.
No, I think a very myself that I think of myself as very to Meryl
Streep of, of the touring circuit.
No, it was just a step too far. I think we all agreed that it
would be, which is absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.
And and Indiana, Nick. If they, if they give me yours,
I'm sure they have given you lots of guidance and support and
whatnot. They've been very helpful.
They've been very kind of hands off actually.
They've been lots of supports but they haven't, they haven't
come in and said, oh, do it like this?
Or we think you should do it like that.
They've been, they've been just this kind of very kind of
benign. Friendly supportive presence,
really have come along and just said yeah I love what you're
doing. That's great carry on more of
it, in fact. Yeah I think because of the
time's going to like we were doing it over the summer.
I think Nick was away and Ian had lots of private eye stuff
going on so they weren't really there much in rehearsal and I
think they kind of came to the first night And they seem to be
genuinely quite kind of genuinely, really pleased and
happy with with kind of what we've done and how much it kind
of expanded since because we've had to broaden it out.
And we're playing to bigger houses now.
So, yes, it's bigger. It's a bigger show than it was
at the water mill. So I think they were, I think
they were surprised at how much it has kind of changed and they
were just nothing but nothing but lovely after the first show
in Chapman last week so I think I think they're pleased with it.
Yeah. They've been living living
lovely though way through. Yeah, have you been chained?
Jamie. Yes, yes, I did.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jane last week, which was too,
which was slightly surreal. Yeah, you know, to just say
hello, I've just been your dad for two hours.
I hope you. I hope you enjoyed it.
But again, she she was a joy and I hadn't met it beforehand,
which I think was probably right.
I think it's probably right to just kind of, do your own, take
on it and then and then kind of show it to her and say, I hope
you like this and I think yeah, I think Don't you know she's
gone through the wringer with it a bit because like you say we
don't we don't stint on the dark side of it.
So I think she said she described it as as kind of
entertainment stroke therapy session for.
So yeah, it was lovely, really lovely to me, and she's just,
she's just lovely and she's, you know, she's so great with the
legacy of her dad and how to handle that in a way.
That's, you know, that's just open and joyous for everyone.
So, yeah, it was just, yeah. It was love.
It was lovely meeting you. Yeah.
I had the pleasure of
interviewing a several months ago for this and I have to go
back and listen to that one. And she's I mean she was great.
She was a I think she'd be the first to admit that she was a
bit cautious when she first started speaking to me because
as you will probably know as well, Spike can attract a lot of
very popular guy. Very popular comedian.
Yes but can attract some nutcase as a gooks.
I suppose. Yeah.
And she didn't and and you know it's people.
Very nice. That's unfair people who are
very passionate, you know, yes, and yes, and I guess over the
years Jane has been exposed to people who have maybe been a bit
sort of, you know, Ott in terms of their, their appreciation of
Spike. Yeah.
Okay. And so when she and I first
started, talking about she was a little bit guarded and little
bit, you know, conversation slightly stilted.
But then when it became clear that you know I knew what I was
talking about. Really some of that she yeah she
relaxed and it was great and when she realized you were one
of those Smack people. Yeah, but I wasn't going to ask
you. So can you tell me why, despite
do you touch the puppets? At one point?
I might all inside with piggy, which I was told of, because
it's sacred territory. You don't do that on.
Put your arm in the pig. I found on, I found out, I think
that I didn't know this by think spikes, grandson worked on the
last episode of Gavin & Stacey we did as one of the as one of
Kind of Runners backstage. I didn't know, I can't remember
it. I don't know if I have his name
tag and I need a little fact, there's an intersection which I
didn't, I didn't actually know that.
If that is true and spikes, grandson is listening to this,
hello? Listen.
Can I, uh, guilty off being too honest?
Okay? And sometimes, you know, when
people are into, you take it, Whatever.
Whenever people are interviewed, the interviewer will tend to be
gushing about everything, okay? And I'm not going to be
Critically it better just I'll just be honest about it.
I've never seen an episode of Gavin & Stacey.
Right. That's it.
I'm sorry. I'm hanging up interview is
over. That's absolutely fine.
It is not completely you think from the levels of adoration it
gets in the come in the country. That is compulsory to watch
Captain stays, but it is not, and that is fine.
Tyler, don't have to have seen it, but I tell you what, I did
really enjoyed and you were in Wolf Hall, and, and Peter Moon,
which I love peterloo. Oh good.
I'm glad because I felt like not A people kind of got to see
Peter Lewis and gets flooded affect the bit like and I was
really, really proud of having a small small part of it, but I
thought it was such a quite overwhelming experience to watch
and I loved my little bit of time on it and I really wanted
more people to kind of embrace it and watch it.
So it's always nice when anyone mentions they like me to do.
I thank you very much. I believe what you're working
on. Obviously, you got the play.
But have you got any sort of anything booked for the next 12
months in terms of film commitments, or A TV or no, no,
this is it takes this big step to December.
And then, as far as I know, nothing coming up after that,
such as the way off the jobbing actor, I've got a few things
that I filmed before this, that haven't come out yet.
So the K and episode Veera which is quite different to spike,
really, the Brenda blethyn Jordi crime, Extravaganza.
And I did a little bit in a show called pledge, And a bit in a
show called Miss scarlet and the Duke which is very good finest
kind of like Victorian detective drama.
So I kind of did all those at the start of the year and then
and then Spike and then spike is come up in the state seems to be
up to the second half of the year and then we'll see what
happens after that. Yeah, and I would have seen you
without realizing it earlier this year, or late last year
when I was re watching the film The life and death of Peter
Sellers, you words the words, if you did, maybe turned away
slightly to drink your cup of tea.
Ooh, you made, mr. It's really that much.
I played motorcycle delivery, man.
He's one of my one of my first early jobs and I deliver a
motorbike. There's a scene where it's, I
think this is based on reality. There's a scene where, what, and
of sellers kids, it's something like their ninth birthday and he
sends them a motorbike an actual motive, which is, which is, and
I think it has to kind of sign for and looks absolutely bemused
that this present has arrived. Got a little scene with every
monster and sellers and for all I basically said was signing a
love. But some of the cast watched it.
I think Paddy playing BT. What?
Watch the film and it's like, I didn't know you were in it.
You use it but you appeared every month.
Like yes. That was my, my turning Dory.
Yes. How dare you forget the pivotal
role? Absolutely.
Actual actually do not have noticed that I should re-watch
that this afternoon. Yeah.
And, which is interesting film. I don't know if I quite like, I
haven't watched it for since it. Came out.
I don't know if it quite works, but I feel like when I read the
script, I thought, oh, this is quite an interesting take,
they've got on it, but then, when you watch it, I don't know
if it quite works. I think it's just because the
curse of Prosthetics to me, I kind of felt like, you didn't
need all the, all the stuff to make him look like Peter
Sellers. I just think I just would have
liked to have seen more of Geoffrey Rush's face.
Yeah, I then hiding behind all the Prosthetics but then again
it's like Mark kermode says Rather.
You know, you get agree or disagree with my camera, too
many things, but he said, yea, rather that film aimed high in
missed if you like, yes. Yeah.
Try to play it safe. And I think it was a, it was
quite a high concept. Yeah.
Ways with yeah.
But it was trying to do. It didn't quite work but but
there was you know for people I made.
There's a hell of a lot to enjoy.
Yeah. Including a motorcycle Delivery
Man including motorcycles delivery man.
Yeah. I was.
I was so cuz I I'd read the book of my own because I went to a
little kind of teach ourselves Obsession phase.
When I just realized, when you start, you know, start coming
and when act and you just start realizing just how good he is.
Yes, so I went through a real sellers phase.
Sarah sellers. The seven-year-old say maybe one
day I'll teach you to ride. It love Daddy, but so Robert.
Listen thank you so much for your time today.
Thank you very much. I better do a quick plug come
and see us on tour we're going all over Guilford Aylesbury
Blackpool Glasgow where everywhere.
So get on to spike the play .co.uk and come and see us.
Sorry there's a bit of blatant plug.
I thought I don't know what about t.i. was a To give you
that I was about to, okay? Like you could give me a good
never anyway but by the time so this episode will but the time
this episode goes out, which will be in a couple of weeks,
three or four weeks. It will be just I think you'll
be playing Darlington. Okay, okay, so so now folks
Robert listen. It's been a real pleasure.
Thank you so much for sparing your time because I know that
you're very, very busy and all the best with the rest of the
the to thank you very much. Thank you.
Tyler's been graduated ears. Thanks again to Robert next
time. It's I'm all right, jack with
comedian Meryl O'Rourke and until then as the knights draw
energy, that gets chillier, remain upbeat and give thanks
for Bankers bonuses and I'll see you the same time next week.