Spitting_Image

Spitting Image

Some Forty-five years after her mother played Queen Quarantine to Alfie Bass's King Eustace The Useless in Unity Theatre's Politically inspired Pantomime of Babes In The Wood, Louise Gold and company brought that sort of satire to its logical conclusion with Spitting Image. Where, coincidentally, Louise not infrequently voiced and puppeteered The Queen.

After her key contribution on the pilot episodes of Spitting Image, Louise Gold continued to fill the role of Leading Puppeteer for the show’s first season. She ducked out of the second season, to pursue her acting career, but returned for the show’s third season. She seems to have continued on and off on the programme for quite some time, certainly she was still around (and helping to audition puppeteers) at the time of the ninth season.

Spitting Image Itself

Show proper: Started 1984 - Ended 1996, a total of 18 series.

1^st Series: First episode screened on Friday 24 (some say 26) February 1984. Last episode 17 June 1984.

3^rd Series screened from 12 January 1985 (some say 6 January 1985). Last episode 24^th March 1985

9^th Series, screened 11 June to 9 July 1989

18^th Series: first episode 14 January 1996

Puppeteers

Anthoney Asbury (Puppeteered on Series 1, acquired his muscles working on Little Shop Of Horrors, took over puppeteering Mrs Thatcher)

Donald Austen

Chris Barrie (Puppeteered on the pilot and Series 1, new to puppetry at the time, stayed with the show till 1990)

Kevin Bradshaw (Puppeteered on Series 1, the Physiotherapist, nowdays known as Kaefan Shaw)

Simon Buckley

Richard Coombs (another puppeteer who puppeteers left-handed)

Sue Dacre

Phil Eason (joined for Series 9 and stayed for about 5 years, was auditioned by both Louise Gold and Nigel Plaskitt)

Alistair Fullarton (Puppeteered on Series 1, specialised in Princess Diana and Ronald Reagan, joined with the pilot)

Louise Gold (Lead puppeteer, was trained by The Muppets, headed the puppeteering team on Series 1, often puppeteered female characters such as The Queen, and in the early days Mrs Thatcher)

Brian Herring (apprentice puppeteer, joined in 1992 – having had no previous experience)

Mark Jefferis (another musical-theatre singer-actor-dancer-turned-puppeteer)

Errol Manoff (credited as a puppeteer for four Series 1 episodes)

Steve Nallon (Puppeteered on Series 1, known as "Head of Eyes", other duties included assistant Ear Wiggler, was new to puppetry at the time)

Martin Oates (trained in German television)

Nigel Plaskitt (took over from Louise Gold as ‘Leading Puppeteer’ for Series 2, and stayed for the next thirteen years)

Marty Robinson (American Puppeteer, member of The Muppets gang - best known for Sesame Street)

Richard Robinson (Puppeteered on Series 1, had short arms – was always being told his head was in shot)

John Thirtle (One of the main puppeteers on the programme)

Ian Thom

Robert Tygner

Mak Wilson (worked on the show around 1987 to 1989)

Francis Wright

Terry Lee Wright (Puppeteered on Series 1, sometimes known as Terry Lee)

and a special appearance by John Lloyd as a Newspaper reader

Voice Artistes

Anthony Asbury (mainly early days, Characters include: The Pope and John McEnroe)

Chris Barrie (Characters include: Ronald Reagan, Prince Charles, Sir Kenneth Newman, Sir John Gielgud, Brian Walden, Neil Kinnock, David Owen, Prince Andrew, Ritchie Benaud, Ian Paisley, David Coleman, John Cole, Henry Cooper, and Barry Norman)

Roger Blake

Patrick Booth (backing singer)

Rory Bremner

Steve Brown (backing singer)

Mary Cassidy (backing singer)

Jimmy Chambers (backing singer)

David Cocker

Steve Coogan

Phil Cornwell (got his audition via ringing up every cabaret club listed in Time Out)

Jon Culshaw (voice artiste from 1994-1996)

Nick Curtis (backing singer)

Stephanie De Sykes (backing singer)

Hugh Dennis

Rick Driscoll (backing singer)

Lance Ellington (backing singer)

Adrian Edmondson

Harry Enfield (Characters include: David Steel, Leon Britain, Juan Carlos of Spain, Frank Bruno, and Ronnie Hazelhurst)

Brian Engel (backing singer)

Mike Fenton Stevens (mainly worked as a singer, including on The Chicken Song)

Alistar Fullerton (mainly in early days, Characters include: David Steel)

Jon Glover (Characters include: Prince Phillip, Tony Benn, Ian Macgregor, Alistair Burnet, George Younger, Botha, Bernard Levin, Ian McCaskil, Oliver Reed, Steve Davis, and Melvyn Bragg)

Louise Gold (Characters include: HM Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Tatum O’Neil, Queen Victoria/Nurse to retired-Prime Ministers, Nancy Reagan, and sometimes Mary Whitehouse)

Ronnie Golden (sometime worked as a singer)

Clive Griffin (backing singer)

Mitch Hiller (backing singer)

Sonia Jones (sometimes worked as a singer, characters include Kylie Minogue)

Carol Kenyon (backing singer)

Steve Lange (backing singer)

Julian Littlman (backing singer)

Gary Martin (backing singer)

Jessica Martin (Characters include: HM Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Sarah Duchess Of York)

Alistair McGowan (Characters include: Tony Blair)

Steve Nallon (Characters include: Mrs Thatcher, David Attenborough, the Pope, Roy Hattersley - A tub of Lard, Shirley Williams, Denis Healey, The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, and Enoch Powell)

Rob Newman

Phil Nice (backing singer)

Tessa Niles (backing singer)

Nigel Plaskitt (once voiced a sheep, but only the once, never did any other voices)

Phillip Pope (Sometimes worked as a singer, characters include Perry Como)

Jan Ravens (Characters include: Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Diana and Mary Whitehouse)

Enn Reitel (Characters include: Donald Sinden, Vincent Price, Dustin Hoffman, Lester Piggott, Leonard Nimoy, and Richard Nixon)

Kate Robbins (Characters include: Numerous Royals especially the Duchess Of York, also a lead vocalist on The Chicken Song)

Maggie Ryder (backing singer)

Scobie Ryder (backing singer)

John Sessions (Characters include: Casper Weinberger, Jonathan Miller, Peter O’Toole, Pete Townsend, and Laurence Olivier)

Harry Shearer

James Simpson (backing singer)

Debbie Stephenson / Debra Stephenson

Pamela Stephenson

Miriam Stockley (backing singer)

John Thompson - possibly spelt John Tomson (see Cold Feet)

Cliff Taylor

Linda Taylor (backing singer)

Rachel Taylor (backing singer)

Carl Wayne (backing singer)

Suzie Webb (backing singer)

Frank Welker

Tim Whitnall (sometimes worked as a singer)

and special appearance Tony Green as himself (because nobody could do his voice)

Writers: Include:

Geoffrey Atkinson (sometimes known as Geoff Atkinson), David Baddiel, Debbie Barham, Alistair Beaton , Roger Blake, Peter Brewis, Christopher Burman, Mark Burton , Kevin Cecil, John Paul Clark, John Coleman , Richard Curtis, John Docherty (sometimes known as Jack Docherty), Cliff Edge, Dan Gaster, Rob Grant, Tony Hendra, James Hendrie , Richard Herring, Ian Hislop, Will Ing, Moray Hunter, Guy Jenkin (aka Sarah Jallop), Chris Langham, Stewart Graham Lee, Paul Lewis, John Lloyd, Peter Keeper, David Kind, Alistair McGowen (act RTG), Miles Moss, Doug Naylor, Henry Naylor, Nick Newman, John O'Farrell, Andy Parsons, Philip Pope, Paul Powell, Georgia Pritchett, Steve Punt, Nigel Purton, Keith Rees, Andy Riley Laurie Rowley, Tony Sarchet , Stuart Silver, Paul Simkin, Pete Sinclair, David Slade, Keith Strachen, Andrea Solomons, John Thomson, and, Frank Walsh

Musical Directors

Steve Brown, and, Philip Pope

Designer

Ken Ryan

Script Editors

Rob Grant, Doug Naylor, Geoffrey Perkins

Directed By

Steve Bedelack, Richard Bradley, Phillip Casson, Steve Connelly, Bob Cousins, Andy De Emmony, Gordon Elsbury, Sean Hardie, Graeme Harper, Peter Harris, John Henderson, Liddy Oldroyd, Tom Poole, Beryl Richards, Geoffrey Sax, John Stroud, Graham C Williams

Floor Managers

Keith Lanscelles

Stage Manager

Kevin Mullary (1986 to 1989)

Producers

John Lloyd, Peter Fluck and Roger Law (Fluck & Law), Bill Dare, David Frost, Tony Hendra, Geoffrey Perkins, Giles Pilbrow, David Tyler

Production Companies:

Central Independent Television, Spitting Image Productions, and, David Paradine Televison

Executive Producers

Jon Blair, Joanna Beresford, Rosie Hoare, Ann Newcombe

Puppets designed and built by

Peter Fluck and Roger Law and company

All sorts of other people worked on the show, especially with regards to puppet building. This included: Errol Manoff (who also puppeteered in the very early days, and, make-artiste John Woodbridge, whose speciality is airbrushing techniques, which he now trains other make-up artistes in.

First Screening Dates

Please note these dates relate only to series and specials which Louise Gold was definitely involved with.

1^st Series: First episode screened on Friday 24 (some say 26) February 1984. Last episode 17 June 1984.

(Ms Gold did not perform on the 2^nd Series)

3^rd Series, screened 6 January to 24^th March 1985

Special: The Sound Of Maggie, screened 6 May 1989

9^th Series, screened 11 June to 9 July 1989

To go to the page for the Spitting Image Pilot, please click here.

The show’s first spin off was the single Da Do Run Ron

Four years after the show ended, Fluck and Law's puppets were sold at auction

To go to the page for The Spitting Image Auction, please click here

Phil Cornwell, Louise Gold, Roger Law, and, John Thompson went on to appear in the television documentary The Wonderful World Of Puppets, where of course they represented Spitting Image (well Louise Gold also represented The Muppet Show puppeteers)..

John Lloyd, Peter Fluck, Louise Gold, and, Steve Nallon went on to take part as on-stage guests part in Spitting Image - BFI Event.

Ian Hislop, Nick Newman, Kate Robbins, Steve Nallon, Chris Barrie, Jan Ravens, and, Louise Gold went on to appear on television in the documentary Spitting Image: Must See TV.

David Baddiel, Simon Buckley, Phil Cornwell, Bill Dare, Harry Enfield, Peter Fluck, Jon Glover, Louise Gold, Rob Grant, Ian Hislop, Mark Jefferies, Roger Law, John Lloyd, Jessica Martin, Alistair McGowen, Steve Nallon, Doug Naylor, Nick Newman, John O’Farrell, Nigel Plaskitt, and, Kate Robbins went on to appear on the television documentary Best Ever Spitting Image, which Steve Punt, and, Richard Bradley also worked on.

To go to the page for the Spitting Image album Spit In Your Ear, please click here.

Besides its eighteen series, there were also a number of Spitting Image specials and spin-offs. Like everyone else involved with Spitting Image, Louise Gold puppeteered on some (but by no means all) of these. One of the Spitting Image specials she puppeteered on was ‘The Sound Of Maggie’, which was filmed at Richmond Theatre in Surrey, a theatre that Louise herself went on to appear on the stage of as a singer-actress in Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, and, The Cherry Orchard. That theatre also featured, as The Savoy in the film Topsy Turvy.

Spitting Image’s four most regular writers, at least in the early days, were: Rob Grant, Ian Hislop, Doug Naylor, and, Nick Newman, who were referred to collectively as Katie Bee or KTB, short for Keep That Bloody Noise Down In Here.

Some of the people involved with Spitting Image, went on to other political satire ventures. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, certainly provided an excuse for some of the Spitting Image satirists to put their own slant on things. Of particular note, Rory Bremner dressed up in drag to play the Queen in a special edition of his TV show Bremner, Bird And Fortune. While Louise Gold’s cabaret act (see “Louise Gold Sings Some Nice Songs”), found the doyenne of Spitting Image giving her take on The Queen giving a state of the nation address, complete with a Spitting Image puppet of The Queen. The puppet resurfaced later in the year, in an extended version of Ms Gold’s show Louise Gold ... By Appointment

Louise Gold also puppeteered The Queen at Dress Circle Grand Reopening, Spitting Image - BFI Event, and at a FUNdraising special featuring The Company Of Mary Poppins .

Louise Gold also turned up again puppeteering The Queen as a little speciality to help introduce a fundraising bucket collection at Theatre Royal Drury Lane by the cast of Oliver! on 31 October 2009.

Louise Gold has also played The Queen in her actress’s guise, in an episode of Gina’s Laughing Gear; where she contrived to act an interpretation that was not unlike Spitting Image’s own portrayal of the character.

In a sense Tony Green’s voicing of his own parody on Spitting Image, might have some similarity to the occasion when the swimmer Johnny Rausmuller played a parody of himself, Johnny Weismuller, in the Cole Porter political-satirical musical Jubilee (which incidentally sent up the British royal family, but was nothing like as bitingly satirical as either Spitting Image or Unity Theatre were).

In it’s early days Spitting Image borrowed heavily from The Muppets, this includes quite a number of personnel from The Muppet Show, such as: Leading Puppeteer Louise Gold, Writer Christopher Langham, and, Directors Philip Casson, and, Peter Harris.

Immediately prior to helping set up Spitting Image, Leading puppeteer Louise Gold had been appearing, at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in The Pirates Of Penzance, along with Chris Langham and Pamela Stephenson. They all appeared with the Pirates Of Penzance cast in the previews: The Pirates Of Penzance (Gala Performance), The Pirates Of Penzance (Gala Preview), and, The Pirates Of Penzance (Benefit Preview), and also in the 1982 Royal Variety Performance.

At the time of working on the pilot episode of what was to become Spitting Image producer John Lloyd was also producing BlackAdder (which Richard Curtis was also working on as a scriptwriter), when the pilot’s ‘puppeteering consultant’ cheekily asked the producer for a job on BlackAdder the result was a memorable acting appearance by one well known puppeteer!

Nigel Plaskitt joined Spitting Image at the start of the Second series, when Leading Puppeteer Louise Gold decided to duck out of the second series (to pursue her career as an actress - that included appearing in Metropolitan Mikado). He took over from her, and stayed for the next thirteen years. Louise Gold, however, did work on the third series.

Nigel Plaskitt went on to direct Louise Gold in that lady’s own cabaret act LOUISE GOLD ... By Appointment which includes one sketch involving Louise Gold very much in her Spitting Image puppeteer’s guise.

Louise Gold had already worked extensively with The Muppets, a number of the other Spitting Image puppeteers also subsequently worked with The Jim Henson Company.

Several of the Spitting Image puppeteers puppeteered on the film Labyrinth, they include: Anthony Asbury, Donald Austen, Kevin Bradshaw, Simon Buckley, Sue Dacre, Alistair Fullarton, Nigel Plaskitt, Ian Thom, Robert Tygner, and, Mak Wilson.

Some members of the production team had also previously worked with The Muppets: Directors Philip Casson and Peter Harris, and writer Chris Langham had all worked on The Muppet Show.

Phil Eason joined Spitting Image for Series 9 (having previously worked with some of the Spitting Image puppeteers on a spin-off). He was auditioned for Spitting Image by leading puppeteers Louise Gold and Nigel Plaskitt. Although a puppeteer in his own right, on Spitting Image he also took his turn as an assistant to his colleagues, and that included left-handing some of Louise Gold’s puppets

Puppeteer Mark Jefferis was originally a dancer (his credits in that department include The Young Generation - at the same time as Liz Robertson). He then went on to tour in various musicals, including appearing in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Touring Production) along with Louise Gold.

Puppeteer John Thirtle had previously worked as a puppet builder on The Dark Crystal.

Richard Coombs is one of the few puppeteers to puppeteer left-handed, however (like Fraggle Rock’s Terry Angus) he is actually right-handed, but started out as a puppet builder. Being right-handed, he got used to holding puppets in his left-hand while building them, and so naturally performs them that way.

Voice-Artists Louise Gold and Chris Barrie with a sketch written by: Rob Grant, Doug Naylor, Ian Hislop, Nick Newman, and, Geoffrey Perkins, represented Spitting Image on the Utterly Utterly Live Comic Relief album. Adrian Edmondson also performed on the album, and Richard Curtis also wrote some material that appeared on it.

Louise Gold and Chris Barrie represented the Spitting Image voice-artistes on Comic Relif 1986, it is also known that Louise Gold puppeteered on it, what is not quite clear is who else from Spitting Image puppeteered on the show. Adrian Edmondson, and, Richard Curtis were also involved with the show in other areas.

Louise Gold and Chris Barrie also helped out, on occasion, with the politically-minded semi-professional Fall Out group’s shows.

Alistair Beaton went on to write material for the stage show Ziegfeld and it’s cast album Ziegfeld (recording) . His writing credits also include the Gilbert & Sullivan spoofs such as The Metropolitan Mikado which was highlighted in Ratepayers' Iolanthe & Metropolitan Mikado and additional material for a production The Gondoliers, featuring Louise Gold (she sang some of his additional material).

Peter Harris was involved with the production of the Muppet albums: Muppet Hits 1, and, Muppet Hits 2

Peter Harris and Philip Casson were involved with the production of the Muppet albums: The Muppet Show Music Hall The Muppet Show 2 (the first Muppet album that Louise Gold was actually credited on), and, Muppet Show Music Album. Chris Langham was involved with writing material for the latter.

Writer Chris Langham and Puppeteer Louise Gold had appeared in The All Time Get Around Sometimes Play Together Every Other Friday Night Vaudeville Show.

Peter Harris had previously directed The Muppets Go To The Movies, for which Chris Langham wrote, and, Louise Gold puppeteered.

Louise Gold, Rob Tygner, Donald Austen, Simon Buckley, Sue Dacre, Nigel Plaskitt, Kaefan Shaw, John Thirtle, and, Ian Thom puppeteered on The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Nick Curtis, Carol Kenyon, and, Miriam Stockley went on to appear as a backing vocalists on The Muppet Christmas Carol (Soundtrack album), which of course Louise Gold featured as a singing-puppeteer on.

Louise Gold, and Tim Whitnall, have appeared in the film Billy The Kid & The Green Baize Vampire, they have also done voice-work only in the TV Film Animal Farm.

Louise Gold and Jessica Martin have appeared together several times in: Something For The Boys, One Touch Of Venus (2000 Production), A Lost Musicals Occasion , Regents Park 70^th Anniversary Gala, A Celebration Of The Life And Work Of Dick Vosburgh, and at Dress Circle Grand Reopening. They have also appeared together on the radio, on: Let’s Do The Show Right Here and Ned Sherrin’s Review Of Revue.

John Sessions and Louise Gold appeared in Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee and in excerpts from it on A Kick Up The Archive

Louise Gold and Marty Robinson went on to sing on the Sesame Street albums Born To Add and Elmo’s Lowdown Hoedown Marty Robinson may also have sung on The Count’s Countdown

Carl Wayne’s recording credits include The Greatest Musicals of the 20^th Century, The Great Musicals – Glamour And Majesty, The Great Musicals – Dashing Heroes, Blushing Maidens, and, The Great Musicals - From Broadway to Hollywood.

Director Philip Casson went on to direct Louise Gold in her actress’ guise in an episode of Casualty.

Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley went on to write for Alexei Sayle’s Merry-Go-Round.

Louise Gold, Nigel Plaskitt, Simon Buckley, Sue Dacre, Brian Herring, Mark Jefferis, Ian Thom, John Thirtle, Rob Tygner, and, Mak Wilson went on to puppeteer on Muppet Treasure Island.

Richard Coombes, Francis Wright, Nigel Plaskitt, Rob Tygner, Sue Dacre, and, Louise Gold went on to puppeteer on Alice In Wonderland.

Adrian Edmonson, Michael Fenton-Stevens, and, Louise Gold went on to appear in the same episode of Rita Rudner.

Richard Coombs, Sue Dacre, Phil Eason, Louise Gold, Nigel Plaskitt, John Thirtle, and, Francis Wright went on to puppeteer (as did Simon Buckley, and, Steve Nallon) on The Spooks Of Bottle Bay.

Jessica Martin had gone on to appear in A Love Letter To Dan.

Steve Punt also wrote for Roland Rat The Series.

Nigel Plaskitt, and, Mak Wilson went on to work on The Animal Show, which Peter Harris also directed.

Louise Gold, and, Nigel Plaskitt went on to puppeteer on The Secret Life Of Toys, and to work on the pilot of Space Sprogs.

Louise Gold, Brian Herring, Nigel Plaskitt, and, Mak Wilson went on to puppeteer on Mopatop’s Shop, for which Tom Poole was one of the directors.

Simon Buckly, Richard Coombs, Louise Gold, Nigel Plaskitt, and, Marty Robinson puppeteered on Tale Of The Bunny Picnic.

Louise Gold, and, Frank Welker can be heard on Favorite Songs From Jim Henson’s Muppets, and, Muppet Music Mix.

David Frost went on to work on Comedy Tonight.

Louise Gold, and, Marty Robinson were among the 16 puppeteers who took part in American puppeteer Jim Henson’s Memorial Service.

Kevin Mullary went on to work as a stage manager on Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, and the Side By Side By Sondheim 25^th Anniversary Gala, both of which Louise Gold sang on.

Louise Gold, Mak Wilson, and, Richard Coombs went on to puppeteer on The Ghost Of Faffner Hall, where Louise Gold puppeteered the title role.

Louise Gold, Peter Harris, and, Christopher Langham had featured on the television documentary Of Muppets And Men.

Nigel Plaskitt went on to puppeteer (and do voices) on Five Minutes More, on which Louise Gold, and, Mark Jefferis worked as voice-artistes.

Sue Dacre and Louise Gold went on to appear as panellists at the Labyrinth 25^th Anniversary Screening. Mak Wilson was supposed to have taken part in that, but was unavailable.

Louise Gold, Peter Harris, Chris Langham, and, Steve Punt went on to appear in the documentary I Love The Muppets.

It is perhaps worth noting that at least three of the performers on this very adult TV show, have also made somewhat noteworthy contributions to the world of pre-school-children’s television. Jon Glover had previously presented BBC TV’s Play School; While, Marty Robinson and Louise Gold have both puppeteered on CTW’s Sesame Street

Spitting Image featured in ITV’s 50 Greatest Shows, where it was spoken about by among others Peter Fluck. Meanwhile Louise Gold was speaking about The Muppet Show but was clearly voicing and probably puppeteering The Queen puppet who spoke about the programme. Steve Nallon is clearly voicing Margaret Thatcher but it is not clear whether his part was done for the documentary.

As well as being one of Spitting Image’s regular writers, from 1986 onwards Ian Hislop became the editor of Private Eye. Coincidentally, according the Society Of Antiquities, the only time that anyone can remember a serious obituary appearing in Private Eye, was when Gavin Stamp wrote one about an uncle of one of the Spitting Image puppeteers!

During the very last season of Spitting Image a behind-the-scenes item about the show was featured on the television programme Funny Business, puppeteers Nigel Plaskit and Simon Buckley were among the people involved. Nigel Plaskit was shown operating the John Major puppet, and trying to explain how is performance of that puppet had to be “very grey” ; while Simon Buckley was shown, operating the Tony Blair puppet, and revealing that voice-artiste Alistair McGowen once told him that the reason “Tony Blair always smiles, because you can’t do the voice unless you smile.”

Links about Spitting Image

Official Show Site for LOUISE GOLD...BY APPOINTMENT: http://www.louisegold.com/ - This is the show site for Louise Gold’s cabaret act, includes a couple of photographs of Spitting Image’s original Leading Puppeteer, with the actual Spitting Image latex puppet of The Queen.

BBC Guide To Comedy page for the show: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/s/spittingimage_7775945.shtml

Nigel Plaskitt’s Website’s page for the programme: http://www.nigelplaskitt.com/spittingimage.xml

Spitting Image Wiki: http://spittingimage.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page - Note, it is your webmasters opinion that the information on this wiki is not currently all that reliable.

The Independent newspaper’s interview with Peter Fluck: ‘Headcases? We Were Miles Better Says Spitting Image Creator’: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/headcases-we-were-miles-better-says-spitting-image-creator-805232.html - This interview carried out by The Independent’s Ian Johnson was published on Sunday 6 April, in it Peter Fluck while describing the importance of the role played by the puppeteer’s in bringing characters to life, specifically cites Louise Gold’s puppetry as an example.

TheatreNow.Com interview: Gold On Stage: Louise Gold In Follies: http://www.theatrenow.com/asp/link.htm?news.asp?art=3430&cat=1 This is an interview carried out by Theatre.Com’s Paul Webb, one hot summer’s day, while Louise was appearing in Follies at The Royal Festival Hall. Although the interview is ostensibly about her role in Follies she also talks about her other Sondheim performances, along with: Memphis Tennessee, Political Theatre, and Spitting Image.

Muppet Central Interview with Louise Gold: http://www.muppetcentral.com/articles/interviews/gold.shtml

Steve Nallon's Official Website: www.stevenallon.com

Chris Barrie’s Fan-Site: http://www.clay.co.uk/barrie/

Lee & Herring’s Official Site: http://193.62.1.220/fist/

Michael-Fenton Stevens’s site’s page about his singing work, including The Chicken Song: http://www.mikefs.co.uk/music.html

Nigel Plaskitt’s website’s page about Spitting Image: http://www.nigelplaskitt.com/spitting.htm

Dress Circle’s Press And Stock Shot 1 of Claire Sweeney, and Louise Gold performing “The Queen”: http://www.salamanderphoto.com/decsite/events/specials/dresscircle/DressCircle_8773cropweb.html The Puppeteer (Louise Gold) is clearly visible behind her puppet in this one. There are several other photographs on the site of “The Queen” performed by Louise Gold, plus two photographs of Ms Gold as herself.

British TV Shows Reviews ‘S’: http://www.eskimo.com/~rkj/s.htm Includes an entry for Spitting Image.

Absolute Astronomy’s page about the programme: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/s/sp/spitting_image.htm

Mistress Of Puppets, Enfield Independent’s interview with Louise Gold (she mentions Spitting Image): http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/display.var.653310.0.mistress_of_puppets.php

Museum Of Broadcast Communications’ page for the programme http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/S/htmlS/spittingimag/spittingimag.htm

Do You Remember.co.uk’s page for the programme: http://www.doyouremember.co.uk/memory.asp?memID=1505

BFI Transcript of the BFI event about the programme: https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/interviews/spitting-image.html (they had a few problems with audibility, so some comments got lost)

Richard Coombs’s website’s section on the show: http://www.richardcoombs.co.uk/hotchpotch.htm (he does mention various Spitting Image productions elsewhere on his site)

Spitting Image Series 1 DVD Release, news item: http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=66978 (Louise Gold is quite rightly specifically mentioned as an experienced pair of hands, at puppet performance).

Play.com’s entry for the Spitting Image Series 1 DVD: http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3623122/Spitting-Image-Series-1/Product.html?tduid=9792880de5feb828fee77d6af1f66835

Amazon.co.uk’s entry for the Spitting Image Series 1 DVD: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00112GCD0/dvdtimes01

Off The Telly, ‘I’d Certainly Be Happy To Bring Hartley Back’ – an interview with Nigel Plaskitt: http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/?page_id=508 (a very interesting interview in it’s own right, and Mr Plaskitt happens to mention Spitting Image, including when he got involved, although LG is only mentioned implicitly)

Chris Barrie’s biography on his official website: http://chrisbarrie.co.uk/default/?page_id=5

The Society Of Antiquities, an obituary which happens to include an interesting reference Private Eye: http://www.sal.org.uk/obituaries/Obituary%20archive/john-brandonjones (Not really anything to do with Spitting Image, but might be of some interest)

Agency Licensing Campaign (article in The Stage): http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/31022/theatre-stars-back-campaign-for-talent-agency, and Online Petition (which anyone who supports it can sign): http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41085.html , seeing as Nigel Plaskitt, and, Francis Wright are among the performers supporting this worthy campaign.