Interview: Co-writers Matt Forde and Al Murray on IDIOTS ASSEMBLE: SPITTING IMAGE SAVES THE WORLD

As if it wasn’t enough to talk to some of the voiceover artists involved in the world premiere of Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World at Birmingham Rep, we were also fortunate enough to chat with two of the comedy tour de force writing team, Matt Forde and Al Murray (pictured left and centre respectively), earlier this week.

How did you get into writing? 

MF: I guess for both of us it was doing stand-up.

AM: Yeah. Doing stand-up and you kind of generate a reputation. Matt has generated a reputation for himself of being a really amazing impressionist, political comic and dear sweet friend. And I’ve been around forever.

MF: No, you’re amazing.

AM: And when you get offered a job like this, because I wrote on the old show in the early 90s! It’s interesting that it’s come back but amazing to be a part of it. This is the most incredible toybox that we’ve got to play with! 

MF: We’re playwrights man! It’s mad when you think about it, what a treat. A privilege. 

What challenges does Spitting Image bring as a whole?

MF: The news changing a lot last year was a nightmare. 

AM: Political churn in the middle of last year. We did have a whole first play called The Liar King about Boris Johnson and it was about him becoming King of the world, but then he wasn’t prime minister anymore. We couldn’t have him in the centre anymore, he’s still in it but it’s not about him. But actually, that’s okay. We’ve benefitted from the reality of not having to centre it on who’s in charge at the minute, which is why we’ve ended up where we are. 

MF: There are certainly a lot we face as writers but actually, most of the challenges are really levelled by the puppeteers. Some poor git has got to come on like dressed as a car or make the puppets fly, that’s really hard to do. They do  it and it’s visually stunning but the choreography required to deliver one line is that’s where the real pressure is. 

Which celebrity would you like to see as a puppet in the show?

MF: Oh, that’s a really good question! Oh my god. I’m trying to think of who I find really annoying. That’s who you want really, someone really annoying. 

AM: The thing is, we’ve got one or two people who have sort of come and gone from prominence. We’ve got Dominic Raab but it kind of depends where that story about him ends up going. 

MF: I’ll tell you who I do like but we haven’t used is Harry Kane. Because Luke Kempner impression is amazing and the puppet’s really funny but there wasn’t place for him in the story which was a shame. Everyone is in who we wanted, anyone else we’d be on our 200th pick! 

Any characters/people that got left at the drawing board?

MF: There were very few limitations, if any, put on us. We could have had whoever we wanted. The only people we had to get rid of were Boris Johnson being prime minister. He’s still in the show but obviously his role had to change. 

AM: At one point, one of our producers told us we were skewing quite old and we needed some more contemporary people in the show. We were looking away from current culture but the thing is Spitting Image always used to have showbusiness people in it, sports people, it’s not just the politics. That’s the thing we’ve really tried to get right. 

What’s it like bringing such an iconic TV satire from television to the stage?

MF: The main thing is that it’s been great fun.

AM: It has been great fun. Also, the crucial thing about Roger Law who founded Spitting Image and created it in the first place a million years ago, we have to get it all past him. So it’s the spirit of Spitting image since it was first created that we’ve been asked to take on. 

MF: But also, we are mates and we make each other laugh. I remember getting the call that we were going to write together with Sean Foley who is a local legend, what a talented man. What a treat to be able to work on a project with great mates and to make each other laugh.

AM: Because it has gone from us sitting around a table doing silly voices to a three-dimensional piece. 

Any mishaps during rehearsals/during the show?

MF: There have been some technical things.

AM: We get the show notes after every show and they are really funny. There’s a part where Nigel Farage is urinating on the cast and there was a note saying “too much Farage p*ss, someone nearly slipped in it, less Farage p*ss tomorrow night please!” 

MF: But also because the puppets are real people, you just get notes like “Putin’s arm has fallen off”, “someone else has lost an eye”, it’s like a celebrity hospital! 

If you were to have a puppet of yourself made, what characteristics would you give yourself?

[Laughing]

MF: I’d tell you what I would like, my puppet to not have eczema and it would be lovely to not see my hands eroded. I just want nice hands. Six pack. 

AM: Mine could be just three stone lighter.

MF: Three stone lighter, ripped, shredded!

AM: Absolutely! Totally hench. 

Which is your favourite puppet in the show?

AM: Suella Braverman because she’s one of the ones that we originated for the show. She didn’t pre-exist, she is completely a creation of the three of us writing together and what we’ve been trying to do. Because you inherit a lot of stuff on a show, the history, you inherit some of the iconic 80s & 90s characters because we’ve had to, in a good way. She’s the purest creation of this writing team and what the thrust of this show is. That’s been really exciting. The other really wonderful thing from what I hear is that the audiences just can’t get enough of her! 

MF: Suella by far above and beyond but honourable mentions to Tyson Fury purely by the way his face can scrunch up, and Angela Rayner but that’s partly because of how Debra Stephenson does her. Just so funny, they have a special place in my heart. 

Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves the World plays at Birmingham Rep until 11 March, with tickets available here.