Review: SPIKE, The Watermill Theatre

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

As we take our seats in the beautiful, intimate space that is the Watermill auditorium, the audience are treated to audio extracts from The Goon Show, probably Spike Milligan’s best known work, and the focus of Spike - the new play from Ian Hislop and Nick Newman. 

Rather than a biopic of Milligan, as the name might suggest, Spike is an enthralling snapshot of the tortured comedy genius’ life, as he pushes himself to mental breakdown whilst trying to meet the pressures and expectations of being the main writer for The Goon Show, a programme that is credited with influencing a phenomenal spectrum of popular culture over the last seven decades. Bands such as The Beatles, comedy icons Monty Python and author Douglas Adams all cite The Goons as an influence in their work - and those are just a few in the very long list!

Directed by Paul Hart, this fast paced retelling of Spike Milligan’s ongoing battle with the BBC is both incredibly funny, and touchingly poignant. The narrative is interspersed with flashbacks to Milligan’s time serving as a soldier in the Second World War, and several references are made to his seeming inability to accept that the war was over. He claimed it wasn’t - his war with the BBC was still raging. 

John Dagleish absolutely steals the show as Spike Milligan, with his voice, mannerisms and character instantly recognisable to anyone who has seen footage of the late Milligan. His portrayal of Spike’s trouble with bipolar disorder is subtle to begin with but becomes more pronounced as the play moves on, and this adds to the mounting urgency we feel on his behalf - to write more, to write faster, to write better. Ellie Morris who plays Milligan’s wife June points out in Act 2 that the only person putting pressure on him is himself! A feeling that we have all empathised with at times, making his character feel very relatable. 

Dagleish and Morris are joined by Margaret Cabourn-Smith as Janet and Jeremy Lloyd as Harry Secombe, with George Kemp playing Peter Sellers, James Mack doubling as Denis Main-Wilson and Peter Eton, two different producers of The Goon Show, and Robert Mountford who brilliantly portrays an incredibly unlikable BBC Exec. There isn’t a weak link amongst this cast, all of the characters have clearly been well researched and the collective performances make for a slick, exceptionally enjoyable evening of theatre.

The play closes with the cast performing ‘Whistle Your Cares Away’ live on the stage. This is one of the song’s originally performed by The Goons and it ends the evening perfectly, bringing a little light hearted fun back into the room and reminding us all that while Spike was a complex and often troubled human being, he was also the driving force behind a very much loved comedy show, which brought joy to millions in post-war Britain. 

Whilst some of the material originally written for The Goon Show has not necessarily aged well, many of the themes in Hislop and Newman’s Spike are very relevant to modern day life. Not only does the piece explore mental illness, it also touches on entrenched sexism in corporate settings, media bias and the hardships of maintaining a healthy work/life balance. 

As always, the production values at the Watermill are second to none. Attention to detail in the set and costumes by Kate Lias transport us to early 1950’s Britain, and considered choices in the lighting design by Rory Beaton take us from the horror of the battle fields of the second world war, to the slightly institutionalised backdrop of BBC recording studios. Unfortunately, the use of the upper gallery as part of the playing space doesn’t work as the sight lines are cut off for much of the audience, but luckily these spaces are not used often, and the majority of the action takes place on the main stage. 

Hislop and Newman have penned a piece that is not only a tribute to the work and life of a brilliant man, but also a fascinating insight into an era of British Comedy.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Sarah Brown

Spike runs at the Watermill until 5 March, with tickets available here.