Spitting Image stages revival – and one politician who makes the cut is the ‘surprise hit of the show’
Jacob Rees-Mogg reimagined as a praying mantis, Priti Patel transformed into a bat and four Vladimir Putins – not many live shows can boast such a cast.
But Spitting Image Live: Idiots Assemble has a unique advantage – the lead cast are all puppets.
The world premiere of the stage show
Comedians Al Murray and Matt Forde, the show’s co-writers, tell Sky News: “Suella Braverman is the surprise hit of the show… That puppet is disturbing in a very entertaining way.”
But showbiz is a fickle game, and while Vladimir Putin‘s current role in world politics means he has four puppets “to make what we’re doing with him work”, Kwasi Kwarteng (short-lived chancellor) and Nadhim Zahawi (ex-Conservative Party chairman) didn’t make the cut. Good calls, it turns out in political hindsight.
Murray explains: “You’ve got to be really sure who’s, for instance, the prime minister or the Chancellor of the Exchequer before you can commit to having them in the show because it costs thousands of pounds to have them caricatured and cast in latex.”
Described as “a show simultaneously inspired and appalled by real events”, Murray says they are currently on “version 3.5” of the script.
So, how do you create a topical rolling review, but avoid rewriting it every time there’s a cabinet reshuffle? And let’s face it, with three PMs and four chancellors last year alone, UK politics has been something of a revolving door of late.
Calling the production “an oil tanker” – as well as numerous puppets the show has 12 puppeteers (all of whom appear on stage during the show) and 12 voice artists, and tech-wise there are lighting and video AV setups as well as song and voice tracks – Murray acknowledges, “what you can’t be doing is rewriting a sketch about the budget”.
He goes on: “We’ve ended up developing a show that is essentially shockproof… We’ve got a role for the prime minister in the story. So, we’d swap him out rather than have to rewrite the entire thing [if he changed]. Had England won the World Cup, that would have affected what we’d written as well.”
(R-L) Co-writers Matt Forde, Al Murray and Sean Foley
Fellow comedian and co-writer Matt Forde chips in: “Yeah, there would have been one extra joke.”
The show can basically be switched around and updated as current affairs dictate, but without completely upending the storyline, or cast of key characters.
And there’s not just politics and football to worry about, there’s also the ever-changing fads of the world of showbiz. Celebrities who have the honour of making the cut include Taylor Swift, Stormzy and Tom Cruise. As for royalty, King Charles, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also make it in.
Not just lumps of plastic, it’s like the stars are really there Forde explains: “The puppets are so good, even though they are grotesque recreations of these people, they look and feel alive. And there is a part of your brain that genuinely believes King Charles, Stormzy and Greta Thunberg are all on stage together and chatting to each other. It does some sort of weird trick to your brain where you actually think you’ve seen those people together, it’s brilliant.”
First filmed for TV at Central Independent Television (now ITV Central) in Birmingham 40 years ago, Spitting Image held politicians, the Royal Family and celebrities to account with its biting cultural and political satire over 18 series from 1984 to 1996.
Watched by more than 15 million viewers at its height, the multi award-winning show had no shortage of inspiration for colourful content, with Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and The Queen among those recreated in puppet form and lampooned for our viewing pleasure.
The original TV show ran for 18 seasons from 1984 to 1996
Comedy veterans including Harry Enfield, Steve Coogan, Paul Whitehouse and Alistair McGowan all worked on the programme, as did Red Dwarf creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor.
The show’s creators Peter Fluck and Roger Law (both now part of the live show creative team) were originally political cartoonists, adapting their trade for TV.
Now, Murray says taking the show to the stage is just another level of the adaptation: “It’s not a comic doing an impression. It’s not an actor who doesn’t look like the King. You know, it’s a puppet. That’s a direct caricature of him.”
He says Forde’s Trump impression is “like having him there in front of you”.
So, what’s the trick to nailing the voice of a character?
Donald Trump Spitting Image puppet. Pic: Avalon/BritBox/Mark Harrison
Forde explains: “You need to hit upon a theme first, like some form of audio hook – like a sort of noise they would make, almost like a non-word noise. And then I think it’s about saying things that they could conceivably say. So, you sort of understand their vocal mannerisms… Keir Starmer has that slight blockage noise… With Trump you can just do these mad, rambling speeches.
“There’s a way of effectively capturing their essence through noise and the sorts of words they would say, and then it’s like a magic trick.”
Do they think any of the world leaders, celebrities or royalty lampooned in the show will object? Murray thinks not: “It would be daft to complain about this – it’s a Punch and Judy show.”
To prove the point, they’ve invited everyone featured in the show to come and see it, at least all those who are alive.
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With a tongue-in-cheek trigger warning on the show due to its “really naughty jokes”, Murray knows they are able to get away with more on stage with puppets than they would via conventional comedy.
“We have gone through a slightly sort of censorious vibe in the last few years,” he explains. “But now we’re not on television and we’ve not got to get this past BBC compliance or be worried about what the Daily Mail might say and all those factors that impinge on the kind of satire and comedy we get at the moment.”
With the evident success of the Spitting Image TV show, and more antics to dissect in politics and current affairs than ever before, why isn’t it still on our screens? Murray (who wrote for the two-series reboot in 2000) says it’s simply a case of cost, coming back again to the expense of the puppets at its heart.
“Spitting Image is an expensive show to write, shoot, produce, put on, and that is, to be honest, the beginning of the end of it.”
But he says TV’s loss is theatre’s gain: “When it came to TV in the first place in the 80s, it moved caricature on television and sort of rebadged caricature. And I think we’re doing that again by bringing it on stage. So, in a weird way, it feels like a better refresh than just doing it on the telly again.”
Idiots Assemble – Spitting Image Saves The World: Live on Stage is at the Birmingham Rep until Saturday 11 March.
Entertainment
Ed Sheeran beats copyright appeal over claim Thinking Out Loud ripped off Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On
An appeals court has upheld a ruling that Ed Sheeran’s hit song Thinking Out Loud did not illegally copy the Marvin Gaye classic, Let’s Get It On.
The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, New York, agreed with a lower-court judge’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Structured Asset Sales (SAS), which owns rights to the 1973 Gaye song that previously belonged to the late co-writer Ed Townsend.
SAS had made the allegations against Sheeran, his record label Warner Music, and music publisher Sony Music Publishing.
Ed Sheeran attended court in New York in 2023 for a hearing on a separate lawsuit about the same track, which he won. Pic: AP
It comes after a separate copyright lawsuit filed by heirs of Townsend over alleged similarities between the tracks. Sheeran won that case in May 2023, following a jury trial.
SAS sued Sheeran in 2018, four years after the release of his number one hit. US District Judge Louis Stanton dismissed the case following the verdict in the heirs’ case last year – concluding the musical elements allegedly copied were too common to merit copyright protection.
The appeals court has now agreed, saying Thinking Out Loud and Let’s Get It On are not similar enough for Sheeran to have infringed on copyright, and protecting the elements could stifle creativity.
SAS owner, investment banker David Pullman, said the company was reviewing all of its options following the decision.
Gaye, who died in 1984, collaborated with Townsend, who died in 2003, to write Let’s Get It On, which topped the Billboard charts in the year it was released. The track has been used in numerous films and adverts, and garnered hundreds of millions of streams and radio plays in the past 50 years.
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Sheeran, who is from Suffolk, is one of the most successful modern music stars in the world. Thinking Out Loud, which won a Grammy for song of the year in 2016, is among his biggest hits.
Sky News has contacted representatives for the star for comment on the latest ruling.
After the result in 2023, he spoke outside court, saying he was “unbelievably frustrated baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court at all”.
He added: “We’ve spent the last eight years talking about two songs with dramatically different lyrics, melodies and four chords which are also different and used by songwriters every day, all over the world.”
The British star, 33, also won a similar copyright case in the UK in 2022 – this one relating to Shape Of You, another of his biggest hits.
During that hearing, he was accused by two lesser-known songwriters of ripping off part of one of their songs for his 2017 track. However, the High Court judge ruled that Sheeran “neither deliberately nor subconsciously” copied a hook from the song.
Following that ruling, Sheeran released a video statement hitting out at “baseless” copyright claims that are “damaging” to the industry.
Can the influence of celebrities sway voters when it comes to the US election?
With many of the biggest music and movie stars in the world backing her, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will certainly be hoping so.
Democrats have long enjoyed a celebrity advantage, which has only grown during Republican Donald Trump‘s rise in politics. However, as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign showed, star power is not always enough.
According to a recent YouGov poll, about one in 10 Americans (11%) say a celebrity has ever caused them to reconsider their stance on a political issue, while 7% say they have supported a political candidate because of a celebrity endorsement.
As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, here are the stars backing each of the two candidates – starting with Ms Harris.
The Avengers
In a clip shared by Hulk star Mark Ruffalo on social media, the Avengers assembled to show their support for Ms Harris.
Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson, Captain America star Chris Evans, and Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr all feature in the video, along with Don Cheadle and British star Paul Bettany.
Ruffalo cited climate change, education and women’s reproductive rights among the issues voters should consider.
“We’re back,” he captioned the post. “Let’s #AssembleForDemocracy. In the #ElectionEndgame, every vote counts.”
Taylor Swift
Pic: Janet Mayer/ INSTARimages/ Cover Images/ AP 2024
The pop mega star confirmed her support for Ms Harris in September, posting a picture of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button – a reference to Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance’s “childless cat lady” comments.
Swift told her 283 million followers: “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
In response, Mr Trump said Swift would “probably pay a price” for her comments.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Pic: AP
The action movie star is a former Republican governor of California.
However, he has said he is voting for the Democrats this time, saying: “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”
In a lengthy post on social media, Schwarzenegger said he did not “like either party right now” and that he does not “really do endorsements”, but felt he had to speak out.
He went on to harshly criticise Mr Trump for rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential vote, saying this was as “un-American as it gets”.
He ended by saying the country needs to “close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.”
Jennifer Lopez
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‘You can’t spell American without Rican’
The actress and singer spoke out during a Democratic rally in Las Vegas, criticising comments made during a Trump rally about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage”.
“You can’t even spell American without Rican,” she responded.
Lopez told supporters she was “an American woman” and a “proud daughter and son of Puerto Rico”.
Madonna
Pic: Reuters
Pop royalty Madonna revealed she returned home to the US following a trip to Paris to vote for Ms Harris.
Alongside a selection of photos of her time in the French capital, the singer, 66, posted on social media: “Paris was so fun! It was hard to leave, but I had to come home to VOTE Kamala Harris for president!!!!”
Beyonce
Pic: AP
Beyonce appeared at a Democratic rally in Houston, Texas, in October, telling voters: “We need to sing a new song.”
The star said she was not attending the event as a celebrity, but was there “as a mother”.
She added: “A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.”
Charli XCX
Pic: Reuters
Earlier in the year, Ms Harris embraced the social media trend of a “brat summer”, inspired by British pop star Charli XCX‘s latest album, Brat.
It came after the singer-songwriter, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, wrote in a post on X: “kamala IS brat”.
She later told New York Magazine: “To be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me… I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.”
Brat has now been named word of the year by Collins, which said it inspired a lifestyle “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”.
Bruce Springsteen
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Springsteen calls Trump a ‘tyrant’
Rock icon Bruce Springsteen is also among the stars who have appeared at Democratic rallies.
Performing on stage in Clarkston, Georgia, he used time between his numbers to argue Ms Harris will protect democracy and fight for women’s reproductive rights.
“He does not understand this country, its history or what it means to be American,” Springsteen said of Mr Trump.
Eminem
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Obama raps Eminem
The rapper attended a rally in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, where he introduced Barack Obama.
The former president joked he had “noticed my palms are sweaty” before rapping several lines from the Grammy award-winning artist’s hit song Lose Yourself.
Eminem told the crowd Ms Harris “supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld”.
Pic: Reuters
Billie Eilish, Jennifer Aniston, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee and Cher are also among the stars who have endorsed Ms Harris.
Mr Trump’s famous backers might not be as starry, but he has several who hold a deep appeal with his core base of voters.
Here are some of the big names who are supporting the former president.
Elon Musk
Pic: AP
The tech billionaire has donated $75m (£58m) to a campaign group he set up to support Mr Trump’s presidential bid.
Musk previously supported the Democrats but has become a vocal backer of Mr Trump in recent months, and joined the Republican candidate on stage at a rally in Pennsylvania.
At the event, Musk, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, jumped around on the stage and described the election as a “must-win situation”.
Hulk Hogan
Pic: Reuters
The wrestling star is among the celebrities publicly endorsing Mr Trump, appearing at the Republican National Convention in the summer and at a rally in New York last month.
He told “Trumpamaniacs” at Madison Square Garden that he had won heavyweight titles and body-slammed “giants” there, but the energy at the rally was “something like I’ve never felt”, and “the most powerful force in the universe”.
The retired wrestler, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, has shared several photographs of himself and Mr Trump on social media.
Mel Gibson
Pic: AP
Hollywood star Mel Gibson will reportedly be voting for Mr Trump.
According to US entertainment site TMZ, when asked about the election, the actor replied: “I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone who I’ll vote for.”
He said voting for Mr Trump would be “a pretty good guess”, and reportedly added: “I know what it’ll be like if we let her in and that ain’t good. Miserable track record – appalling track record. No policies to speak of. And she’s got the IQ of a fence post.”
Dennis Quaid
Pic: AP
The US actor, known for films including The Parent Trap and The Day After Tomorrow, gave a speech at a Trump rally in Coachella, California, in October.
“It’s time to pick a side,” he told the crowd. “Are we gonna be a nation that stands for the constitution? Or for Tik-Tok?
“Are we gonna be a nation of law and order? Or wide open borders?”
Jon Voight
Pic: Reuters
Veteran actor Jon Voight, who is Angelina Jolie’s father, has long been a supporter of Mr Trump.
In a video shared on social media, he told his followers: “We’re now in a time of the darkest plague ever. And our chance, our only chance, is this November.”
Voight accused Hollywood peers supporting Ms Harris of “putting out videos trying to brainwash the American people to do the most dangerous vote ever”.
Jake Paul
Pic: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages/ Cover Images/ AP
YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul has also shared a video message endorsing Mr Trump.
He captioned the clip, “Who I’m supporting for president and why you should too…” but began by saying he had been “nervous, scared” to make it because of potential repercussions for his career.
Encouraging his followers to do their own research and not just listen to “your favourite pop star”, he said he had rescinded his right to vote after moving to Puerto Rico for his boxing career – but that he wanted to present his millions of followers “with proper facts, numbers and data to encourage them to vote in the proper direction to quite literally save America”.
Things “don’t feel right” in the US at the moment, he said, which shows “that we are more divided than ever”. He added: “What is the problem? Democrats have been in power for 12 of the last 16 years, so if we aren’t happy… then who is to blame?”
Kelsey Grammar
Pic: AP
The Frasier star – who has reportedly spoken of his support for Mr Trump in the past – was asked about being a Republican in Hollywood in an interview with the New York Times in September.
“For me to be anything else would be a problem,” he replied. “I don’t go along with a lot of what is preached in Hollywood. I go along with what is preached in Christianity. I go along with do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
“And I believe in all people: I believe in their desires and their lives and their worth. I want to make shows about that. I don’t want to hate anybody.”
Kid Rock
Pic: AP
The musician has appeared at several Trump rallies and has been vocal in his support for the Republican presidential candidate on social media.
In a recent video, he responded to Eminem’s support for Ms Harris, saying he had been friends with the rapper for years but he does not agree with his politics.
He credited both Eminem and “people like Taylor Swift for standing up and not being afraid to be vocal”, but said his stance is “unequivocally MAGA, because I know in my heart, mind, body and soul that President Trump will make America great again”.
Entertainment
‘Amateurish’ thieves steal Andy Warhol print of Queen Elizabeth II – but ‘can’t fit other stolen pictures in getaway car’
“Amateurish” thieves have made off with a screen print of Queen Elizabeth II by Andy Warhol as part of a botched gallery heist in the Netherlands.
The thieves blew open the gallery doors, stealing two works from the iconic American pop artist, the gallery’s owner Mark Peet Visser said.
Another two prints were left badly damaged in the street after the thieves discovered they wouldn’t fit in the getaway car, he added.
The heist was captured on security cameras, Mr Visser said, describing the whole thing as “amateurish”.
The gallery owner said “the bomb attack was so violent that my entire building was destroyed” and nearby stores were also damaged.
Thieves also seized a screen print depicting Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. File pic: AP
“So they did that part of it well, too well actually,” he added.
“And then they ran to the car with the prints and it turns out that they won’t fit in the car.
“At that moment the works are ripped out of the frames and you also know that they are damaged beyond repair, because it is impossible to get them out undamaged.”
The thieves struck the MPV Gallery in the Dutch town of Oisterwijk early on Friday.
Mr Visser said they were attempting to steal four works from a 1985 Warhol series called Reigning Queens.
The series featured portraits of the then queens of the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Swaziland, which is now called Eswatini.
The thieves got away with the portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and Margrethe II of Denmark, Mr Visser said.
But the prints of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Ntombi Tfwala, who is now known as the queen mother of Eswatini, were abandoned.
Read more from Sky News:
The celebrities backing Trump or Harris
British singer influences word of the year
Arrest after burglary at Ben Stokes’s home
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Mr Visser has not put a value on the signed and numbered works, which were due to go on sale as part of an art fair later this month.
Forensic experts have scoured the badly damaged gallery and Dutch police are appealing for witnesses.
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