Talk to the hand (From Swindon Advertiser)

Talk to the hand

2:45pm Thursday 25th February 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

INTERVIEWING a sock is something the Swindon Advertiser has never done before…but there’s always a first time for everything.

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet theatre is coming to the Arts Centre on Tuesday night and they are looking forward to their performance, according to the socks it’s the highlight of the tour.

“It should really be called the No Sleep ‘Til Swindon tour or the Swindon and The Rest of the World tour,” said the grey sock.

“Swindon is obviously the most important date and we’re looking forward to coming.

“We’ve been before so this is our triumphant return. The audience was fantastic last time we were here.”

The show will feature famous moments from films across the decades, with one or two special treats thrown in for good measure.

“It’s the entire history of film in one night, and if they’re lucky we might even do our own complete version of Star Wars in four minutes,” said Sock.

The Falsetto Sock Puppets, who can been seen on YouTube and BBC3, burst onto the scene in 2003 when they appeared in The Sitcom Trials.

“Our boss, Kev F, realised that we were the funniest thing in the show so he just focused on us,” said Sock, who is the “straight man” out of the pair.

“We been to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the last three years and each one has been a sell-out. We’re going again this year so we’ll see whether it’s a sell-out or a rush-out.”

Touring takes its toll on any performer but unlike most, the Socks get to go home to their own beds every night.

“Our home comes with us everywhere and we, with all of the scenery and props fit into a canvas bag,” he said.

“When it’s all packed up it looks like a gun carrier and it has caused us problems at airports before.

“We’re looking forward to when the new scanners come in and they scan our bag and just see a pair of socks with eyeballs and tongues.”

The tour takes the company across the country…but so far no-one in their homeland of Scotland has booked them.

“They’re obviously just very bad at answering the phones up there,” said Sock, who was born in Aberdeen.

“Everywhere else gets us, surely they must get us in Scotland too? You’d think so wouldn’t you?”

The duo have teamed up with magician Ali Cook for the show, and he will be performing some of his unusual and surreal magic tricks on the night too.

The show is suitable for people aged 16 and over.