Rubbery figures
Encyclopedia
Rubbery Figures was a satirical rubber puppet series that screened in Australia
in various forms from 1984 to 1990. It appeared on TV comedies like The ABC's Rubbery Figures
and Fast Forward. It featured puppets of major political and social characters.
film studio of Peter Nicholson, who also made the puppets themselves. Almost all the character voices for the puppets were performed by Melbourne voice actor Paul Jennings. The programs featured inserts of animation of puppet photo cutouts done mainly by Michael Nicholson, in a manner reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's
work on Monty Python's Flying Circus
.
or Hurra Deutschland
, the primary characters of Rubbery Figures were politicians native to the program's country (i.e. Australia
). The Rubbery Figures political characters included:
The music & lyrics to "The Recession Rap" were written by David Atkin, Peter Benson & Troy Hazard and the music was produced by David Atkin & Peter Benson for Keynote Audio Productions.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in various forms from 1984 to 1990. It appeared on TV comedies like The ABC's Rubbery Figures
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
and Fast Forward. It featured puppets of major political and social characters.
Production
The Rubbery Figures programs were made in the MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
film studio of Peter Nicholson, who also made the puppets themselves. Almost all the character voices for the puppets were performed by Melbourne voice actor Paul Jennings. The programs featured inserts of animation of puppet photo cutouts done mainly by Michael Nicholson, in a manner reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
work on Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
.
Fast Forward's Rubbery Figures
Fast Forward included Rubbery Figures during its 1980s run, lasting until 1990. It was during its appearance on Fast Forward that Rubbery Figures acquired so many of its characters.Australian politicians
Like shows such as Spitting ImageSpitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
or Hurra Deutschland
Hurra Deutschland
Hurra Deutschland was a German satirical series running from 1989 to 1991, appearing regularly on TV station Das Erste.-Overview:...
, the primary characters of Rubbery Figures were politicians native to the program's country (i.e. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
). The Rubbery Figures political characters included:
- Bob HawkeBob HawkeRobert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
- portrayed as a self-centred, power-hungry opportunist
- Paul KeatingPaul KeatingPaul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
- who appeared on the show as Hawke's down-to-earth crony
- Andrew PeacockAndrew PeacockAndrew Sharp Peacock AC, GCL , is a former Australian Liberal politician. He was a minister in the Gorton, McMahon and Fraser governments, and was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia 1983–1985 and 1989–1990...
- John HowardJohn HowardJohn Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
- presented as an irritating, nerdy loser
- John ElliottJohn Elliott (businessman)John Dorman Elliott is a former president of the Liberal Party, and former president of Carlton Football Club. In 2003 he was found guilty of trading while insolvent and in 2005 declared bankrupt...
- who appeared as a literally big-nosed, foul-mouthed drunkard
International politicians
Rubbery Figures also satirised prominent world politicians of the time, among them were:- Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
- the then-Prime Minister of the United KingdomPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, who appeared as an eccentric profiteer eager to appeal to the Australian government
- Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
- the then-President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, who appeared as a lumberjack intent on keeping his nuclear weapons program a secret
- Mikhail GorbachevMikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
- former Premier of the Soviet UnionPremier of the Soviet UnionThe office of Premier of the Soviet Union was synonymous with head of government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics . Twelve individuals have been premier...
, who was portrayed as an easygoing liberal who was always giving himself time off
- Muammar al-GaddafiMuammar al-GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
- the ruler of LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, whose puppet was permanently impaled by a missile with the letters "USAUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
" painted on one side
Music
In 1991, EMI Music released a RUBBERY FIGURES music track called "The Recession Rap". It hit #60 on the ARIA Chart in August 1991.The music & lyrics to "The Recession Rap" were written by David Atkin, Peter Benson & Troy Hazard and the music was produced by David Atkin & Peter Benson for Keynote Audio Productions.