Surviving Spike

 
The Music Hall, Assembly at George Street, Edinburgh,

The opening scene is hysterical!  Who would have thought that a mock job interview would have filled The Music Hall full of laughter?

Spike Milligan, (Michael Barrymore) and Norma Farnes, (Jill Halfpenny) are dynamic on stage, as they banter and bicker in jest.  He employs her as his secretary. She later promotes herself as his agent and manager in some very funny scenes.

Their relationship seemed emotionally charged at times. He needed Norma more than he let on and perhaps became emotionally dependant on her.  Many times she exercised her control, overstepping the mark, as she was career-focussed - bright, steadfast and a good influence in his life.  You will enjoy the acting. As their relationship develops, many highs and lows surface like a bumpy rollercoaster ride.

Spike, an eccentric genius, and extremely talented writer, is portrayed by Barrymore with perfection.  So much so that one has to pinch oneself as a reminder that it is Barrymore on stage, not Spike. 

Throughout, there are references to Spike’s  writing.  Hiis  war memoirs, letters, poetry, scripts, books, limericks, come up in the script often, with several mentions of his  television appearances.

Award-winning playwright Richard Harris, (Stepping Out, Outside Edge), has triumphed with Surviving Spike.  The  script is humanistic, real and true to the life of Spike Milligan. 

Barrymore gave a true reflection of Spike.  Many scenes plunge into the highs and lows; his despair, fighting off dark depression, pill popping, drinking, and promiscuity. 

What is so beautiful about the script is that it delves into a part of Milligan's personal life that the public perhaps didn’t know about.  He had a soft side, always first to help the underdog and regularly sent money to strangers in need. He was not a greedy man, but a man who would give away his last penny.

Jill Halfpenny and Michael Barrymore excel as Norma and Spike.  The stage setting is an upstairs and downstairs affair, and the script is a masterpiece. Highly recommend.