SPYMONKEY was founded by Toby Park, Petra Massey and Aitor Basauri in 1997. 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. They have created six shows to date:

Stiff (1998), a black comedy about undertakers, Total Theatre Award Winner, British Council Showcase of the best of British theatre in 2001, toured to Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Finland, Spain, France, USA, Canada, Mexico, Syria, Ireland, Romania, Czech Republic and Sweden.

Cooped (2001, mid-scale version 2005), a gothic romance directed by Cal McCrystal, international tours to Sydney Opera House, Just For Laughs Montreal, Toronto World Stages, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Brighton Festival, Edinburgh Festival.

Zumanity - Another Side of Cirque du Soleil (2003-05) resident show at New York New York Hotel Casino, Las Vegas. Spymonkey created the comedy content for this adult burlesque show, seen by half a million people.

Bless (2007), about the lives of the saints directed by Cal McCrystal, nominated for 3 Betty Mitchell Awards.

Spymonkey’s Moby Dick (2009) directed by Jos Houben & Rob Thirtle, which firmly established them as a mid-scale company, including a run at the Lyric Hammersmith, and toured internationally to Finland, Holland & Belgium.

Love In (2011) a self-help cabaret directed by Chris Green, winner Best Comedy Brighton Festival 2011, Udderbelly Southbank.

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. They have performed as guest acts and hosts in La Clique, The Razzle, Tina C, Miss Behave’s Variety Nighty at the Roundhouse, Time Out’s Alternative Eurovision, Sandi Toksvig’s Christmas Cracker with Ronnie Corbett at the Royal Festival Hall, as well as seasons as hosts with Palazzo in Amsterdam and Stuttgart.

Current projects in development include: a collaboration with Lyric Hammersmith and Peepolykus recently seen in a scratch version at Latitude Festival; a stage adaptation of Jamie Rix’s ‘Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids’ for MENCAP; and a new show for the Folies Bergeres Paris with the haute couturist Manfred Mugler entitled ‘Mugler’s Follies’.

Outside of their work as performers with Spymonkey, Aitor is one of the leading teachers of clown and physical comedy in the world, regularly running Spymonkey masterclasses in London, Brighton and New York. He recently directed Discombobulated for Publick Transport, and appears in Sacha Baron Cohen’s new film about Gaddafi. Toby works as a composer, collaborating with amongst others, Improbable Theatre, Guy Dartnell, Tom Morris, Mimbre, Charlotte Vincent Dance, Northumberland Lights with Phil Supple and Graeme Gilmour. He co-directed and composed for Spike Theatre’s The Games which won Best Production and Best Comedy in The Liverpool Daily Post Readers’ Choice Awards 2010. Petra appeared as a regular in BBC TV’s Hyperdrive and Miranda, and can be seen in Office Party at The Pleasance Theatre this Autumn. And with Stephan she is working in development with RSC on a Young People’s Shakespeare adaptation of King Lear directed by Kathryn Hunter and Marcello Magni.