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Image: Cooped / Photographer: Sean Denny

Image: Cooped
Photographer: Sean Denny
SPYMONKEY
Comedy theatre

SIZE OF COMPANY
5–7 on the road

SCALE OF VENUE
Small-, middle- and large-scale

PERMANENT STAFF
Joint Artistic Directors/Performers
Aitor Basauri
Petra Massey
Toby Park

ARTISTIC POLICY
Spymonkey makes comedic, physical theatre that engages, challenges and entertains audiences. A huge international following has been built on its exuberant mix of superior physical skills, spirited dialogue and brilliant visual impact. Combining the formality of British traditional theatre with a European approach to clowning and stage anarchy, its shows are full-on, fast-paced and hilarious.

REVIEW EXTRACTS
‘The reigning monarchs of physical comedy.’ The Melbourne Age (Cooped)

‘A carefully crafted brand of lunacy. Made me laugh so much my throat hurt.’ The Times (Cooped)

‘Utterly infectious... a perfectly paced hybrid of The Pink Panther and Psycho.’ The Independent (Cooped)

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
Cooped In the best tradition of British comedy from Monty Python to Fawlty Towers, the show overflows with brilliant characters, visual humour, slapstick comedy, naughtiness and nudity. Laura du Lay arrives at a remote country house to uncover a tale of murder, love and mistaken identity. Directed by Cal McCrystal. (84 mins, no interval, 4 on stage, 6–7 on road.)

Bless A miraculously divine comedy about the goodness of mankind. Some of the goodness has been exaggerated; some of it is purely accidental. In a series of daring and colourful vignettes, Spymonkey brings its bright humour to the stories of the saints, spanning time, geography and theatrical invention. Directed by Cal McCrystal. (70 mins, no interval, 5 on stage, 6–7 on road.)

Stiff After the loss of his wife Morag, the great tragedian Forbes Murdston is driven to express the depths of his sorrow by gathering around him an enthusiastic (but totally incompetent) troupe of actors to produce a moving tribute to his dear, departed love. Directed by Cal McCrystal (60 mins, no interval, 4 on stage, 5 on road.)

WRAP-AROUND
Spymonkey offers a range of workshops, residencies and talks.

RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2006–07 Australia, Finland, Greece (Cooped), Canada, (Bless/Cooped), Switzerland (Bless)
2005–06 Canada, Switzerland (Cooped)
2003–05 USA (Zumanity for Cirque du Soleil)

TOURING AVAILABILITY
Cooped from January 2008.
Details on request for Bless and Stiff