Categories: television, theatre
Date: 20 January 2008 02:28:32
Spicks and Specks is one of those few TV programmes that get me frustrated when I miss it. I love it, and have many friends and colleagues who love it too. It is a music trivia panel show with a great dose of humour and an even great dose of silliness. Rounds range from straight-forward Q&A ones on trivia, artist's lives or Mondegreens [mis-heard lyrics] to Substitute [where guests sing well-known songs, substituting the lyrics from strange books] to Look What They've Done to My Song Ma [where songs are played in an unusual manner, e.g. a ukulele band or through a mobile phone] to a round where song titles are drawn in picture format to the ever-enjoyable-and-entertaining Malvern Stars on 45 ["Malvern Star" is an Aussie bicycle; in that round the riding of the bike is linked to a turntable so contestants need to speed up or slow down to hear the song properly]. It has to be seen to be believed: wonderful.
I had completely forgotten about the Spicks and Speck-tacular live show tour, until I saw it advertised at the Enmore Theatre as I was coming home from seeing The Kite Runner. I decided to book -- and am glad I did. I saw the last show of the current tour, and boy was it fantastic.
The hosts, Adam, Myf and Alan were as wonderful as they are on TV: plenty of humour [with digs at the stereotypes of Sydney's regions and other NSW cities] and they appeared as friendly and comfortable with one another as they do on TV. Rather than having celebrities as guests, eight people were chosen from the audience through some music, and some strange ["Have you ever thrown your undies on stage?"] Q&As. They got a good group, the final two contestants in particular. Both named Michelle, they were rather different: I expect Michelle 1 had had a little to drink, as she seemed rather out-of-it and confused at times [rather than write down the name of songs during Substitute [where they used guests who had appeared on the show rather than books], she wrote down as many guest names as she could rather than the song titles! Oh well: she, as Adam said, provided us with more laughs than the show, and she took it in good humour.
As well, Myf and Alan performed a piece -- Myf on the piano; Alan classically dancing and Myf's brother Kit [who is in the band Rocket Science with two others who ably played] singing -- to Against All Odds; a dance to Thriller, including all eight audience members, ended the show, after Adam did his piece from his stand-up tour of the Australian National Anthem in the style of Jimmy Barnes' Working Class Man [rock]. Kit and his band were great throughout, playing several songs before the show and playing wonderfully throughout -- as well as keeping us entertained with humour throughout. As did stage-hand Hamish.
If it comes around again [I believe Perth will get the shows in May], go and see it. You'll love it.