Shockheaded Peter

[princefan01]

where can i find the entire show i would love to see this 

[LawrenceOlaf]

What exactly is Julian saying in the opening?

[dezmundo1251]

Just wanted to agree with all those praising shockheaded peter. Honestly one of the best things I have ever seen on stage. Thankfully I was just about old enough when i saw it not to completely lose my mind (although was taken to see the woman in black by my parents when I was about 7 and have never recovered). They need to bring it back to London!

[CharlieCobolt]

What is the name of the creepy guy in the beggining aka the scissor-man....scary as all hell...

[Trayusstudent1]

@CharlieCobolt If you mean the actor, thats Julian Bleach. To sci fi fans he has appeared in Doctor Who as Davros, creator of the Daleks, the Nightmare Man in The Sarah Jane Adventures, and the Ghost Maker in Torchwood.

[xpapercliche]

Saw this on Ovation with my mother when I was eleven. Couldnt sleep for weeks. Cant wait to see it again!

[Helenn127]

I want to see this SO much, but I'd probably never sleep again! x] xo

[Jcolinsol]

Tell me there is a DVD?

[roadrunneruntd]

conrad you fool !

[UnkiBen]

Thats FREAKAAAYYYY! Watched this video in drama - weirdest thing I hav ever seen.

[66dulien66]

Anybody knows if there's a DVD of this show available? I have the Tiger Lillies Shockheaded Peter DVD and it's only a small part of another show. I would really love to have this version instead!

[FJMLAM]

I certainly dont think it had it's day! Every one I speak to who saw the show cant wait for it to return : Including me. This was a piece of theatrical history ! C'mon- give it one more go! Please

[mdee64]

believe it or not was in the front row at this show years ago and picked up one of his thumbs.still got it.boring but true.

[macaonghus]

I saw this a few times, loved it. One of the best things I've seen, I wish it would come back.

[sinandacceleration]

silly bully boys will lose their toyz!

great verse.

[richardhanna0]

I got a job as an usher at the Piccadilly in London, just so I could see this show every night. never missed a performance. magnificint!!!!

[MaxZhuma]

Кто думает, что Tiger Lillies это только потешно - маст си. Это ж экзистенциальный ужос

[ursulamajor57]

I grew up with Strewelwpeter as a bedtime book. We had an original German version, which my mother translated to me. I remember being both frightened and fastinated by the whole thing. Looking back on it, it's a wonder I ever slept.

[Teineii]

is great! jaja

[hschan4]

Man, they should have had Julian Bleach play the Joker.

[LilMs666]

Am determined to catch these guys at Canterbury at the end of the month :)

[dwarfsid]

Best theater show I saw in nine years in NYC.

[26095]

Saw this in Mpls, staged at Theatre de le Jeune Lune...

Trés formidable!

[HildebrandJohnson]

Me, too.  It was great.

[kaihiwatari111]

Were doing a college project and we wer told to look this up, Its very interesting aand creative

[jackiunder]

the character at the beginnings make up looks a bit like the jokers.

[bennyraven]

I saw this at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, and adored it. I talked it up to anyone who would listen and a lot of people who wouldn't. I had tickets to see the US tour some years later. I was going to see it on September 11, 2001. As you might guess, that performance was cancelled. :(

[SideWaysThinker]

I love the make-up on the intro man (who I think played many charecters, most notably in this video the 'Tall Tailor' or 'Scissor Man', its so sinister

[Gabriella54]

I've seen the Hungarian version, it was really amazing, I loved it.

[Succubus969]

Hu version??? by another band or a live show w them??? i saw them in budapest, and even tho my type of music is usually stoners rock or metal....wow, this was by faaaaar the best thing ive seen live<!!!! what a show!!! was so surreal!

[deaprojekt]

Fantastisch.

[suzeepoozee]

My mother took me to see this when I was about 10 and I used to bite my nails, my mother was constantly telling me off for it... After seeing this show and the "snip snip" part of it, I never bit my nails EVER again!! Would love to take my kids to see it one day, I hope it returns to the west end soon.

[Zebrakindom]

@suzeepoozee I wanted to see it when I was 10 but there was a damn age limit!! now I probably wont see it ever

[mrspeel7]

I love how the Great Tall Tailor tests the sharpness of his shears at 4:42, then sucks his OWN thumb.

And his face afterward, until 4:50, is the creepiest thing I've ever beheld!

[spugintrntl]

Wow... where can I get a DVD of this performance?

[Gilmorelvr89]

I saw this show when I was little and it gave me nightmares for weeks. (But I'd love to see it again now.)

[TheJazzPearl]

i saw "die weberischen" in volksoper in vienna. the music was by the tiger lillies.

AMAZING! really.

[Jakovian12345]

Snip Snip!

[banditcountry]

i was fortunate to see this production twice in london...1st in drury lane with david thomas(?) ex pere ubu and 2nd time in hammersmith with the mighty tiger lillies!.

[urworstnightmare123]

Can somebody pelase explain this to me and what Juliam Bleech has to do with it....

[Katerinasky]

I love this show. I was fortunate enough to see it in Chicago in 2000 and I still think about it.

[indylar]

Me too!! I kept laughing that night in the hotel. My wife thought I was completely deranged.

[PetPeevePro]

I was fortunate to see this show @ UCLA's Royce Hall. I had no idea what I was about to see. Needless to say, I've seen every Tiger Lillies performance since. They're amazing. Already have my tickets for the Halloween show this year.

[unsweetie]

One of the great and foremost tragedies of my life will be that I could not have seen this live. May you be heaped with immeasurable blessings, juliancrouch, for making even this delectable snippet available.

[myslowhans]

muy bueno.

tiger lillies musica para el aburrimiento.

[GrenvilleT]

I've rarely seen genius, but 'Shockheaded Peter' was a show of immeasureable greatness. So many things to say about it, but it stands for itself: a magic extravaganza about child abuse!

[Scruffy193]

What was that thing at 0:55?

[weasel7777]

i think thats shock headed peter

[maxinefone]

ah my favourite..as a performer i would love to do this show!!!! bring it back

x

[digitalshark]

I would have loved to see this.

[jpmorbid]

I'm so happy to see this posted. I saw Shockheaded Peter when the show came to Los Angeles and loved it. I really wish I had the chance to bring more friends to another performance. It was truley one of the best shows I've ever seen in my life, and it was great to talk with Martyn afterward. Thanks for puting this up here.

[offroute]

Sublime!

[mgoldman666]

If you saw this video, and then went to the current London show, you might be disappointed, as there is far less theatrics and characters, and the sound quality could be improved. Otherwise a good entertaining night out that is quite novel.

[CrystalPalaceMonkey]

The show at the New Players Theatre wasn't Shockheaded Peter. It was the Tiger Lilies performing songs from the show and other of their songs.

I've seen The Tiger Lilies several times and the night I saw this show I thought they were very good.

[lovingboth]

I've seen well over a thousand shows over the years, but this remains my favourite because it's 'just a little bit different'. I saw it in its first run and knew it was something very, very special after the first few lines.

How much of the show was recorded like this? I ended up seeing it live about fourteen times and would love to have the full thing to watch again.

The last London show was just over five years ago, sniff, and it's been too long. The current TL cabaret doesn't count...

[lovingboth]

While I remember, is there something somewhere on the changes made between the first 1998 runs in Leeds and Hammersmith and the subsequent ones? They were about five to ten minutes shorter.

And what happened to the website, done by one of the TL? The domain records show it never lapsed, but what's there now ain't it.

Yes, it's in the V&A, but they have an archive of productions, not 'films' of them, so expect one or two static cameras, not like this.

I want it baaack! I want it baaack!!

[jovannakk]

i love Tiger Lillies' class and quality. I absolutely do. Saw Circus and Freakshow in Athens, just incredible.. Thank you for the video!

[oxfordbiker]

Saw this twice - with both bands - really great and sad its no longer touring..

[RedLightBulbs]

Wonderful! 75/5 stars!

[s8ntmark]

I missed this when it was in LA :( I'm sad it will never be performed again :(

Maybe there is a DVD release in the future?? Or a film adaptation???

[ReefHaddad]

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London have a film recording of the performance, but due to legal reasons cannot distribute it.

But at least it means there is hope of seeing it on the screen in the future.

[gwb2008]

where did you hear this information from?

[ReefHaddad]

I am unable to post the link to the website, but search on google using this phrase:

"victoria albert shockheaded"

click on the top link to the v&a website.

I also emailed them to confirm that they have it, and they do.

[henman9010]

@ReefHaddad thats where i saw it. and i absolutely loved it. it os an amazing production!!!

[TK21060]

I saw this some years ago in London. I'd give ANYTHING to see it again - superb stuff.

[s8ntmark]

Even your Soul??

[TK21060]

Oooh, yes! Snip, snip!

[emmacsek]

One of the best shows I've ever seen! I hope they keep touring it as long as they drop dead :)

[xdave130x]

Sadly Shockheaded Peter will never been seen in this format every again. However, the Tiger Lillies are performing on the 25th January in Leeds. The show is titled Tiger Lillies performing the songs of shockheaded peter & other grisly tales

[jellybean454]

This is incredible, i want to see this. really badly.

[Cerati]

Saw it in Chicago a few years ago would love for  it to return

[MissisBeguildy]

Seen them live twice and going to see their alternative panto Sinderella at the Southbank Centre this month...they are completely different from anything else and creepily amazing.

[stelarc123]

Same here. We saw them about 5 years ago in Berlin and they were... twisted. I'll be looking forward to the Christmas crack whore.

[EmmaJaneSmith]

We were shown this in class the other day and it's by far the best piece of work that i have seen so far on my course. I just hope i get to see the full production at sometime.

[contemptiblecreature]

Thank you for posting this. Your work on this stage production contributed to the single best live performance of any sort I have ever seen. You, Mr.Crouch, are an absolute genius.

[sascatisa]

This is without a doubt the greatest show of all time. I was fortunate enough to see the original cast three times in London, once in Chicago, and once in New York City (before they changed out some of the original cast members). I hope it makes rounds again soon, it was fun to see this 'teaser' video...

[sirskeptic]

By far the best stage production I've ever seen.

I was fortunate enough to get hold of an original English SHP book (hand coloured plates) with the under title "moral stories with funny pictures".

It was just as horrible and violent.

[DarkDioniso]

Exselente, the tiger lilles son unos maestros del Cabaret y de la estetica grotesca.

Este espectaculo en especial creo que es magnifico por su teatraligad definida y la musica que escojieron

Son unos MASTERS los esperamos en Mexico

[bigavsha]

Wow, I've seen them about 6-7 years ago I think when I was just a little kid, they came to Israel and my dad took us to see the show, it scared the shit out me pants. the shit- the shit was scared out me pants. (especially the Snip Snip song)

[Sasserfrass]

I own Der Struwwelpeter in the original German.

It was my mom's, she hated it as a child.

[dudezillasf]

I love this video! This was the best stage show I've ever seen! The puppets, costumes, 'pop-up book' set, The Tiger Lilies performing live... stunning. Hopefully one day a dvd will come out.

[mistersantosnyc]

I saw this show in NYC (where I'm from) a few years ago. It was AMAZING & I was instantly hooked to their music & entranced by their style. A funny thing about the show, when the tailor cut Conrad's thumbs, they popped off & flew into the crowd, one of which landed squarely in my lap! I kept it for a while on my bedside table.

[lovingboth]

You lucky thing! I saw it fourteen times and never once got a thumb.

[Serena48290]

i love strewwel peter

they were written by the same person am i right

[senpaipyro]

They're the same thing, this was an adaption for the stage.

[moviefan1955]

Wonderful and delightfully macabre - a great trailer for this slice of Grand Guignol theatre , how I wish that the whole show was available on DVD !!!

[olivej1914]

I saw this in Chicago, and when Martyn finished his first song, the guy in the row behind me simply said "wow".

I walked up to Martyn in the lobby after the show and complimented his amazing vocals. He was very gracious and thanked me; still in costume, his make up running from the sweat..

One of the best shows I've ever seen.

[donny501]

Reminded me of a Bob Monkhouse show -when he was alive of course. .!

[Spookiedoofus]

I was lucky enough to see this in London when it was on. The Tiger Lilies gained a fan that night!

[rkinsey64]

Julian Bleach has an amazing presence. Add a touch of the ring modulator and I can really see him doing a grand Davros rant!

[MarvsCharismaticChin]

DAVROSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

[Grantwebb13]

Wow! They say this guy is talented and I know what they mean!

Very creepy but very captiving, just as they said he was a Ariel in the RSC of The Tempest with Patrick Stewart.

[Trayusstudent1]

That start bit is very sinister. If he is playing Davros I hope it's similar

[Dalek1230]

aye

[senpaipyro]

I saw the show twice, if not three times and it was ace. I remember in one of the places I saw it, for figity Phil (I think), where the tiger lilies had a a 'drum' set made of pans hanging from the rafters was amazing to watch.

Show was extremely enjoyable all times as well!

[thinkngrin]

I saw this production in NYC 2004? After falling in love with the CD version I couldn,t believe I was actually seeing the Tiger Lillies performing. Incredible, delisciously creepy,hysterical,and totally awesome! I cannot put into words how lucky I felt to have had the EXPERIENCE! Please tell me, is this available in a DVD format?

[techieladybird]

Oh i'm sad to hear that.

[techieladybird]

Mr Crouch will it be back in the UK soon? I loved it and saw it 3 times in London- once as a student, once as a youth theatre tutor with a group of exchange students from germany and once as a performing arts techie in a school where I'd organised the trip. loved it

[juliancrouch]

I think not. It has had its day sadly. I miss it

[wunderkind1234]

@juliancrouch I saw it years ago in Zurich, Switzerland. It was honestly the best show i`ve ever seen!!! (and i go often to theater)

it was SO cool.. would love to see it once again, but i understand that an artist will not perform the same show over years.

but thank you anyway for one of the best evenings in my life!

[jeffreypick57]

I saw the show twice in London a few years ago and really loved it. It reminded me of a theatre du complicte version of Gormenghast done in the same style. Both brilliant

[AnnieSheffield]

I only managed to see this show once but loved it.  Twisted, evil.... hilarious!

[richgomito]

One of my all time favourite shows, this trailer still makes me laugh. Brilliant.

[sophomorictrash]

I just watched Mr. Bleach in the "Out of the Rain" episode of TORCHWOOD, and...well, I liked what I saw. In a mediocre story, Mr. Bleach was like an oasis, taking a fairly cliched horror-movie character ("the evil ringmaster") and playing it up with a kind of sneering relish that distinguished him from the rest of the guest cast - heck, even the regulars themselves.

If he invests the same perfect balance of melodrama and menace into Davros, I just might shut the hell up for good.

[ChildOfTheWilderness]

Unless it is confirmed on the official Who site on the BBC, I aint fully believing it.

Especially when rubbish papers like the Sun say it

[philfx]

Everytime I look at this video I think.... MICHAEL WISHER! Not least the fact the voice is so similiar... Molloy had a deeper voice that didn't have the almost Dalek resonance like the original Davros... Remember Nyder? His voice had a Dalek resonance as did Wisher... so does Juilan Bleach.

[sophomorictrash]

Julian is Davros. Terry Molloy's website has just confirmed it.

I'm not going to cry, or whinge, or bitch - not anymore. What's decided is decided. As vocal as I was about Molloy's reprisal of the role, there's nothing I want more right now than to be proven wrong.

Congratulations, Mr. Bleach. Now go kick David Tennant's arse.

[sophomorictrash]

Aaaah...because you think I've changed my tune, NOW you're giving me a thumbs-up?

Sorry, mate. RTD still sucks. It's Bleach I'm holding out on.

[sophomorictrash]

Hmmm. The announcement from Terry's website isn't there.

Maybe I spoke too soon...?

[rawfulralph]

Well, what did you think?

[sophomorictrash]

Kind of hard to say, since Mr. Bleach got so little screentime, don't you think?

I'll wait until the last episode before I make any kind of judgement.

[rawfulralph]

The last episode has come and gone.

Speak now, or forever hold your peace.

[sophomorictrash]

And what exactly am I supposed to say? In a story stuffed with too many bloody characters, Davros was lost in the shuffle. Julian Bleach made no impression on me, exactly because RTD didn't give him any real opportunity to do so. In terms of quality, JOURNEY'S END is pretty much THE TWIN DILEMMA with a budget. It's just horrible.

Thank God the nightmare is finally over. See you in hell, RTD...you and all of your supporters.

Oh, and elevendayempire's still a git. :p

[rawfulralph]

"Thank God the nightmare is finally over."

RTD's doing next year's specials as well.

[sophomorictrash]

Oh, well. One more year of guaranteed suck. Roll with the punches, I guess.

[Trayusstudent1]

Yeah, Davros wasn't given enough time. And Martha was just wasted, they put her in a room for most of the episode.

[sophomorictrash]

Okay, look: I might have annoyed certain people I shouldn't have, and to those individuals, I apologize. My beef mostly lies with Russell T. Davies, whose approach to other classic characters has been questionable at best and infantile at worst.

If Mr. Bleach has indeed landed the role, I hope he tackles Davros with a sincerity and gravitas that both honours and surpasses the actors who preceded him.

Davros is one of Doctor Who's greatest foes, if not THE greatest. Please do him justice.

[sophomorictrash]

Geez-louise...who's the grump that's marked every comment I've made here so far with a thumbs-down? I don't believe high ratings neccessarily guarantee a quality show (coughDRQUINNcough), so no wonder you don't like me. If you disagree with my views, contact me directly instead of hiding behind a Siskel & Ebert cliche. Be a man.

I will just say the puppets in this video do indeed look cool...

[philfx]

NOW there is a feeling in the series that they want to make this a special thing. They want Davros to be pure again like he was in Genesis so they've opted for a new actor who will pull off the role incredibly! Davros is a FREAK! We need him back as a Freak not the mellowed down versions we've had since Wisher launched the character.

[sophomorictrash]

I can't help but notice how the word "freak" pops up in comments from those in favour of Bleach, as if their interpretation of Davros was a combo of Joseph Merrick and Joseph Stalin.

Sorry, fellas. That ain't Davros. The true Davros can be found in stories like GENESIS and REVELATION (as much as I hate to confirm elevendayempire's smug remark about having watched that episode). For pete's sake, Davros was recycling human remains into new Daleks in REVELATION. You call that "mellowed down"?

[philfx]

I can't wait to see Julian Bleach in the role as Davros...

[majamaja3333]

Excellent! They are coming to Vienna in a few months and im hoping to catch them there. Does anybody know will they put on a concert or will it be this play?

[ChrisPittsy]

Amazing, I wish I could have seen the entire show. It mus be horrifying in person. Thank you for posting this video, thank you so much.

[sophomorictrash]

No offense against Julian Bleach, but I doubt he'll be able to convey the gravitas Terry Molloy would have given the role had he been allowed to return.

Terry's been keeping Davros alive for years, in BBC radio plays and the like. It looks as if Russell T. Davies is merely giving us "his" Davros instead of "the" Davros. I really, REALLY hope Bleach will at least appear in the traditional "Davros get-up", as opposed to some parallel universe bollocks involving a more human Davros. Ugh.

[rawfulralph]

Molloy is no great loss.

[elevendayempire]

Molloy isn't "the" Davros, he's not even the one who originated the role. And of course Davies is giving us "his" Davros, that's what a producer does. He's not obliged to give Molloy first refusal on the role any more than he had to give David Banks a shot at voicing the Cybermen. I for one am looking forward to Bleach's performance - he looks freaky as all hell in this video.

[sophomorictrash]

"Molloy isn't 'the' Davros..."

Uhm...yes. Yes he is, just after Michael Wisher - but he's sort of, well, dead. Molloy is the one actor who's been keeping the character's pulse going since 1988, and it speaks of a kind of indifferent arrogance on Davies's part to refuse Molloy a last shot at the role.

I'm sorry, but looking "freaky as all hell" doesn't magically equal Davros to me. EVERYBODY looks "freaky as all hell" in this video. Bleach just doesn't strike me as Davros material.

[elevendayempire]

So? Sylvester McCoy "kept the pulse of the Doctor" going between 89 and 96, and the US producers gave no thought at all to letting *him* carry on in the role. They were almost supernaturally generous in letting him cameo, frankly.

*No-one* is entitled to anything. Sorry, but as good as Molloy is in the audios, it doesn't give him first refusal on the role. Davros is a role, same as any other, and Davies will cast according to his vision and needs. Because he's the producer and that's his job.

[sophomorictrash]

"They were almost supernaturally generous in letting him cameo, frankly."

Wow. You must live in a harsh, bitter world if you thought the producers of the 1996 telemovie were being "supernaturally" generous.

[elevendayempire]

It's a great example of a really stupid decision made out of rank sentimentality; putting McCoy in the TV movie meant that Paul McGann didn't get to turn up until 30 minutes into the film in which he was supposedly the lead actor. Davies showed how it was done by not bringing McGann back for the new series - and I say that as someone who hugely admires him as an actor. The new series has to be forward-looking, and has to cast according to its own needs - not to keep a small cadre of fans happy.

[sophomorictrash]

Eeeek - "forward-looking". Two words that killed many a beloved series.

When the finale of Season 4 turns out to be a piece of cow-dung (and I guarantee it will, as long as Davies is writing it), feel free to eat crow.

[elevendayempire]

The TVM was sold with the slogan "He's back and it's about time," while the new series was sold with the slogan "D'you want to come on an exciting adventure." One failed, one's a massive critical and commercial success. The forward-looking one, which has created a generation of new fans. And they care not a whit for your hopeless clinging to the dead past.

Run along and watch your Revelation of the Daleks DVD, and I'll enjoy Julian Bleach knocking it out of the park in the new series, eh?

[sophomorictrash]

"The forward-looking one, which has created a generation of new fans. And they care not a whit for your hopeless clinging to the dead past."

Yowza. Now I know how King Lear felt. 'How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child,' indeed.

[sophomorictrash]

Good Lord, man - if you want to talk about "rank sentimentality," check out an average episode of the new series, particularly LAST OF THE TIME LORDS, where Martha saves the Doctor's life by inciting the people of Earth to clap their hands Tinkerbell-style.

[sophomorictrash]

I actually find this remark sort of ironic, since you could also say Tom Baker didn't "originate" the role of Doctor Who. Nevertheless, he made it his own all the same.

[chrisfass]

i really hope the davros rumours are true, this guy is amazing

[JackTraven2525]

This guy should play Davros.

[NAFALL]

He's the new Davros in Dr who!

[revmacdog]

Best show I've ever seen in my life--instant fan forever!

[gypsypunk333]

I saw you when you came to Chicago. My dad would read these stories to me when I was a kid.

Amazing amazing amazing show. Please come back!

[69mechanik]

What a brilliant show. I came to see you in london 4 times and I hate the bloody theatre!