Review: Spyfinger! A show about spies
My Accomplice tackles the spy film in their latest production which is part of the Comedy Festival. We follow globetrotting Agent Spyman Finger (Alex Greig) around the globe in his efforts to bring the bad guy to justice. He is accompanied by various (in)appropriately named team members (played by Hannah Banks and Paul Waggott). The main inspiration for the show is the quintessential spy movie franchise James Bond (listen out for the film titles) and there are traces of Bourne and Mission Impossible as well. All the relevant markers of a spy film are there alongside My Accomplice quirks – actors play multiple characters, there are topical references, and Waggot plays a crowd.
It’s an action packed hour full of puns and sometimes terrible one liners (one in particular credited to Uther Dean, writer). Events sometimes get confusing as the actors are doubling but take note – everything is important. Special mention to Richard Dey, fight arranger. Greig and Waggott get the most action time and throw themselves around the stage with abandon. Banks seems to have a lot of fun throwing them around the stage when it’s her turn in charge.
Simultaneously a loving homage to the spy film genre and the most low-tech cinematic experience I have had at the theatre. Marvelous.
- Spyfinger at BATS theatre until 9 May 2015