An absurdly funny new play from Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, Spike goes on tour from 6 Sep 2022.

Following Spike Milligan through the origin of The Goon Show and his battle with the BBC, the play delves into the inner workings of one of our most brilliantly irreverent comedy minds.

Robert Wilfort (Gavin and Stacey,Bridgerton) will take on the role of Spike Milligan, Patrick Warner (The Crown, One Man, Two Guvnors and Play that Goes Wrong) will also join the production to play Peter Sellers, and Jeremy Lloyd (The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, Trial by Laughter) will return to his critically acclaimed role as Harry Secombe.

Spike is set in 1950s austerity Britain. Out of the gloom comes Goon mania as people across the country scramble to get to a wireless for another instalment of The Goon Show. While Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers get down to the serious business of becoming overnight celebrities, fellow Goon and chief writer Spike finds himself pushing the boundaries of comedy and testing the patience of the BBC.

Flanked by his fellow Goons and bolstered by the efforts of irrepressible sound assistant Janet, Spike takes a flourishing nosedive off the cliffs of respectability and mashes up his haunted past to create the comedy of the future. His war with Hitler may be over, but his war with Auntie Beeb-and ultimately himself-has just begun. Ian Hislop and Nick Newman said: ‘It’s a privilege to take Spike on tour, exploring the genius of Britain’s most inspirational and ground-breaking comedian. And of course, it’s another chance to steal all his jokes and pass them off as our own. Spike Milligan may be Goon, but he’s not forgotten.’

The Watermill production of Spike is produced by Karl Sydow, Trademark Films, PW Productions and Anthology Theatre.

CAST