With their dark, edgy physical comedy rooted ‘somewhere between Monty Python, the Marx Brothers and Samuel Beckett’ (The Houston Chronicle), and a quartet of performers from Spain, Germany and England, Spymonkey have proved to be a truly international phenomenon, enjoyed by and accessible to a wide range of international audiences.

The cultural and linguistic diversity of the group and their unique blend of physical comedy and explosive surrealism has won them a deserved international reputation: at the time of writing they have performed in 17 countries from the US, Canada and Mexico to Syria and Taiwan. International promoters spotted early on the opportunity that Spymonkey’s work offers: original work that simultaneously represents the best in contemporary British theatre and rich comic entertainment. In the words of Patrick Brazier, then director of the British Council in Damascus, Spymonkey are a "superlative example to the world that there is more to British theatrical culture than just Shakespeare."

Spymonkey was founded by Toby Park, Petra Massey and Aitor Basauri in 1997. Having met whilst working for the Swiss action-theatre group Karl’s Kühne Gassenshchau, they approached comedy director Cal McCrystal to make with them a new physical comedy show. At the end of 1998 ‘Stiff’, a black comedy about undertakers, had its premiere at the Komedia Brighton and toured briefly in the UK and Switzerland. In 2000 Paul Weilenmann was replaced in the role of Mr Keller by Stephan Kreiss. One of the hits of the Edinburgh Fringe in 2000, it won a Total Theatre Award. Since 2000 ‘Stiff’ has been performed in Swizerland, Austria, Hungary, Finland, Spain, France, USA, Canada, Mexico, Syria, Ireland, Romania and the Czech Republic. It was included in the British Council Showcase of the best of British theatre in 2001.

‘Cooped’ was the second collaboration between Spymonkey, writer/director Cal McCrystal and designer Lucy Bradridge. It opened at the Komedia Brighton in July 2001 and confirmed the partnership as a formidable creative presencein British theatre.

In 2003 Spymonkey and director Cal McCrystal were invited by Cirque du Soleil to create and perform the comedy for ‘Zumanity - Another Side of Cirque du Soleil’, the adult cabaret they created in Las Vegas. Since starting its residency in its sumptuous theatre at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in August 2003 the show has been enjoyed by over half a million people. Spymonkey’s surreal, inventive and irreverent style made them the uproarious highlight.

In 2005 the members of Spymonkey took the decision to leave Zumanity in order to continue their own work, creating an extended version of Cooped for mid-scale internaional touring which has been performed at Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Brighton Festival and Just For Laughs Montreal. In 2007 they created their third show 'Bless' which was nominated for 3 Betty Awards during its inaugural run in Calgary Canada.

Screen appearances have included Solstrom for Bravo Cable Network, Australia Broadcasting Company, BBC, Carlton, Just For Laughs galas with George Lopez and William Shatner, and in the Gemini-Award-winning documentary 'Lovesick', directed by Lewis Cohen.