Actor, improviser and comedian Brendan Murphy brings his hugely popular, award-winning show, Buffy Revamped, to the Theatre Royal Bath for two nights only. Based lovingly on the iconic 90s TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the show is touring the UK this autumn fresh from a second critically acclaimed Edinburgh Festival Fringe season. Winner of the 2022 DarkChat Award for Best Comedy Performer and Best One-Person Show, Buffy Revamped was the best-reviewed comedy show of the entire 2023 Fringe in The British Comedy Guide.
Written and performed by Brendan Murphy, the fast-paced production brings to life the entire 144 episodes of the hit 90s TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as told through the eyes of the one person who knows it inside out… Spike. Funny, satirical and bursting with 90s pop-culture references, it’s the perfect parody for Buffy aficionados and those who never enrolled at Sunnydale High alike.
Can you start by telling us what to expect from Buffy Revamped – is it a telling of the whole story, or just aspects of it?
The pitch is: “All 7 seasons of the Sunnydale saga as told by the bleach-blonde cockney vampire, Spike.” So, it’s the whole story from start to finish – but very much from Spike’s point of view. And don’t worry Season One (and all the other bits that Spike wasn’t around to witness) still gets the full Spike treatmen
Why is the story told from Spike’s perspective?
He’s such a brilliant character with an incredible story arc, going from Big Bad (antagonist) to reluctant ally to love interest and eventually becoming an integral part of the Scooby gang. He’s in more episodes than any other character outside of the main gang, and yet is the only one of them with a true outsider’s perspective on things. Add that to his biting sense of humour and punk rock aesthetic, and who else would you want to spend an hour in a room with?
What was the original inspiration for this? What made you want to create a show based on Buffy in particular?
I’ve been a Buffy fan ever since it first aired in the UK back in 1997, but over lockdown the show took on a dual role becoming both a comfort rewatch and a creative project. Having had success with my previous one-man parody show, FRIEND (The One With Gunther), I decided to turn my attention to Sunnydale and I’ve been amazed by the amount of support it’s had from Buffy fans around the world!
Do you think fans of the show will get more out of it than people who are unfamiliar with the show or does it work for everyone?
You don’t have to be a fan to enjoy it, though being familiar with the original series certainly helps. That said, we’ve made sure to keep it all as inclusive and accessible as possible for the friends, partners, parents and children that inevitably end up tagging along to indulge the Buffy fan in their life. And it seems to have worked – several Buffy noobs have messaged me after the show to say they enjoyed it so much they started their first watch of the show as soon as they got home.
How did you go about creating the show? Did you sit down and write a script or did you do things a different way?
I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to do, Spike has such a strong voice and character it gave me a lot to run with. Then, every night for a few months, I hunkered down and did the full Buffy rewatch from start to finish – reading related books, and scribbling down notes, ideas and observations which eventually became premises, gags and bits which became the basis for Buffy Revamped.
How would you sell the show in a couple of sentences?
All 7 seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer in 70 hilarious minutes. A non-stop rollercoaster ride of a parody, taking you on a 90s and 00s nostalgia-fest complete with a kick-ass indie-rock soundtrack!
Buffy Revamped tours to the Theatre Royal Bath on Monday 30th and Tuesday 31st October. To book tickets contact the Box Office on 01225 448844 or visit theatreroyal.org.uk
Actor, improviser and comedian Brendan Murphy is one of the country’s most talented young writer/performers with both critics and audiences. He has toured extensively across America and Canada as part of the Olivier Award nominated Potted Potter. He has written and performed solo comedy shows, including Friend (The One With Gunther) at the Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe, winning the award for Best Play in the World Wide Comedy Awards, as well as Bagman and Enter The Bagman. His stage credits also include The Crown Dual in Edinburgh, London and on tour in America; Twelfth Night at the Orange Tree Theatre and The Adventure at Manchester’s Royal Exchange. An experienced improviser, Brendan is also part of BBC Radio One’s BattleActs! His screen credits include Doctors, Broadchurch, Twin Thing, SO Beano and Spiderman: Far From Home.
Photography credit: Steve Ullathorne
