![]() ![]() Spike would then proceed to beat or fight Tom thinking he was the culprit for it. Obviously, whenever Spike tells Tom not to do an unequivocal thing, Jerry overhears the order and does his best to get Tom framed (in the example, Jerry would get Tyke as unhygienic as possible). Spike has a grudge against Tom, not just because he's a cat, but because whenever they cross paths, Tom can sometimes interrupts his nap and relaxation in his doghouse or his quality time with his son, Tyke, because he's too preoccupied about chasing Jerry to see where he's going. Though he is occasionally a rival to both the dyad, as shown in the 1942 animated reel Dog Trouble. He has a somewhat minor friendship with Jerry and is a formidable enemy to Tom, who sees him as his agonist. He's a grey, rough bulldog that appears in many of Tom and Jerry cartoons. ![]() Spike Bulldog is the deuteragonist of the Tom & Jerry franchise. ![]() Scene changes are impeccably choreographed by Anjali Mehra and melt in harmony with Katie Lias’ minimalist set, which incorporates Spike-inspired sketches to backdrop swanky bars and dingy pubs.Ī truly excellent exploration of what made this genius tick, Spike is a delightful evening that is sure to educate, inform and – most importantly – entertain.For other uses, see the disambiguation page for Spike. In its tender moments, it’s poignant without being moving – but people aren’t coming to the theatre to be preached to.Īs a production, Spike is slick and understated. While some tropes are more caricature than others, the ridiculousness is smoothed out by the zany chaos of Milligan’s world. His range knows no bounds as he bats between a raft of characters in a delightful performance worthy of note. James Mack also excels in his portrayal of both Denis Main-Wilson and Peter Elton – both producers of the Goon show. From frustration with out of touch programmers to being constrained by the censors, the play pays homage to Milligan’s frustrations with the vessel of his success. Spike gets lots of its laughs – and doesn’t pull any punches – in its send-up of the BBC. Hislop and Newman weave some of the best of Milligan’s material, delivered at machine gun speed, between his own story. The sharpness of Milligan’s writing is every bit as pertinent today as it was decades before. Lloyd in particular fills the stage with his huge presence as the butt of nearly every joke between the three.Īnd the joy really comes from the material that catapulted the Goons to legendary heights. This trio are a triumph, capturing the fizz and the fights that made The Goons the success that they were. His rapport with his fellow Goons – Patrick Warner as Peter Sellers and Jeremy Lloyd as Harry Seacombe – is magical. Yet even as the ageing irritable husband, frantically whacking the typewriter when inspiration runs short, Wilfort is irresistibly likeable in the titular role. He captures the restlessness of Milligan on his rise to fame, balancing the ambition to entertain with the inevitable pressure of topping his own success. Robert Wilfort embodies the tortured artist impeccably, bounding with energy and menace in spades. It’s often the case that the joker is hiding behind the laughs, masking a deeper pain that the public don’t see.Īnd so is the case for Milligan, whose life was plagued – as told in this production by traumatic flashbacks – by his time on the front line during the Second World War. In this touching tribute to one of the nation’s finest comedic brains, Ian Hislop and Nick Newman pen an immensely entertaining dive into the rise to fame of Spike Milligan. ![]()
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