Spitting Image theatre director wants to 'honour its history'

Sean Foley said keeping up with changes in British politics had meant a number of script changes

The director bringing Spitting Image to the stage for the first time has said he wants to honour its history.

Sean Foley is being supported by comedians including Al Murray and one of the show's original creators, Roger Law, to bring it to the Birmingham Rep on 1 February.

He said one of the biggest challenges had been to keep the script up-to-date with British politics.

"It's so iconic, it's so well known, you can only ruin it," he joked.

Mr Foley is also artistic director of the Birmingham Rep and has a history of bringing well-loved British institutions to the stage after working on plays about Morcambe and Wise and Jeeves and Wooster.

He said: "It's a challenge, but its also a thrill, because it's an iconic comedy brand, it's never been done on stage before."

The puppeteers will be visible on stage, unlike those in the original show

The BAFTA and Emmy award-winning television series originally ran for 18 series between 1984 and 1996 but returned between 2020 and 2022 on Britbox.

Mr Foley said some changes had been necessary to adapt it from the TV screen to the stage - the most obvious being that the puppeteers are on full show.

He said the advantage would be that audiences would be able to see their skill.

Synchronising the puppets, the puppeteers and the voice actors was a "massive challenge" he added.

Greta Thunberg is one of the more modern inclusions

The inclusion of Margaret Thatcher was a "nod to the heyday of Spitting Image', Mr Foley said

After going through a number of script revisions, rehearsals for Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World began on 19 December.

Mr Foley said he was "thrilled" to premier the show in Birmingham, which he described as "the home of the original ground-breaking television series".

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