Spike At Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Review

Reviewed by Jo Wright

Let me start by saying that the Waterside is a beautiful building and has great facilities as it’s a modern theatre. The staff are friendly, the bar is well stocked and the toilets are plentiful and very clean Parking is close by and has plenty of disabled spaces too.

Spike is Set in the golden age of the 1950s. The BBC lead the way in comedy with The goon show featuring Spike Milligan Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers.

Spike is played by Robert Wilford of Gavin and Stacy. Spike was a bipolar Comedian and the stage play shows not only his funny side but also his struggles with mental health problems.

The radio show, which ran for nearly 10 years and also starred comedy greats Peter Sellers played by Patrick Warner and Harry Secombe, played by Jeremy Lloyd, was a huge influence on things like the Monty Python show

It’s hard to describe Spike Milligan’s influence on British comedy but my mum met him many years ago and said he was a XXXXX (editor’s note – word removed)

The Scenes on the stage flit back and forth between the BBC studios, the pub, Milligan’s home life and flashbacks of the war The set was very basic and they showed how the bbc used to do sound effects for the radio which was done on stage  with sound effects by Janet (bbc sound effects for radio )  with pots pans and even a hot water bottle.

Spike is about the early years of spike Milligan’s life and success and fame. The radio Listeners love the show, and it gets loads of people tuning in ..even though the show was on the radio and not the tv. It makes his co-stars Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers famous – but Milligan struggles with overwork, writers block marriage kids and PTSD and problems with the top bosses at the bbc who didn’t understand hi. He had bad timekeeping and didn’t  fit the “box”

This play written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.

It’s been 20 years since spikes death. Spike put his heart and everything he had into The Goon Show, leaving him a nervous wreck and exhausted with manic bipolar episodes and writers block at times.

Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s show about Spike Milligan, at the Waterside theatre would make his many older fans laugh but in my opinion not impress Today’s teenagers and younger generation.

Live at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Tue 25 Oct – Sat 29 Oct 2022

Tickets available from £13.00 (subject to a transaction fee of £3.80)

For more information or to book tickets please visit SPIKE Tickets | Aylesbury Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury | ATG Tickets or phone the box office on 0844 871 7615

Rating: I think this is more suited to a older Audience in that it was very funny in parts … I’d give it three Stars (3/5)

Exchange Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 1UG