Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Ed MacArthur pilot String V Spitta for the BBC
- Kiell Smith-Bynoe and musical comedian Ed MacArthur are adapting their acclaimed stage show, String V Spitta, for a BBC pilot
- Focusing on rival children's entertainers, MacArthur plays classically trained virtuoso Sylvester "Silly" String in the musical comedy, while Smith-Bynoe is the upstart, Grime-obsessed maverick MC Spitta
- The pair are also bringing the live show back for its third run at the Soho Theatre in August, ahead of its Edinburgh Fringe debut
Kiell Smith-Bynoe and musical comic Ed MacArthur are piloting a BBC comedy about warring children's entertainers, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
The pair are adapting String V Spitta, their acclaimed live musical comedy for television, alongside the show returning for a third run at the Soho Theatre in August, ahead of its Edinburgh Fringe debut.
MacArthur, whose television credits include The Emily Atack Show and the Bad Education revival, plays Sylvester "Silly" String in the musical comedy. An aristocratic classical virtuoso and top dog in the lucrative West London kids' parties market, every child within a five mile radius of the Kings Road wants Silly String and his Silly Songs.
However, MC Spitta, played by Ghosts and Stath Lets Flats star Smith-Bynoe, is a Grime-obsessed maverick from East London who's shaken up the scene and quickly become the talk of the Kensington playgrounds. Now they're battling it out to see who can be number one.
The Guardian hailed String V Spitta as "delightful", "glancingly droll" and "sharply funny" when it debuted in 2021. And the Independent praised its "ingenious" premise in a five star review, noting that it was "politically sharp" and that "for its joke-per-minute rate, String V Spitta [is] unparalleled".
Speaking to Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie on their BBC Radio 6 show, where he disclosed the pilot's existence, Smith-Bynoe said that he and MacArthur met "maybe five or six years ago" and conceived their characters as having "an instant rivalry because they both believe that they're the best".
The pair, who also both appear in Sky comedy Dreamland, are bringing String V Spitta back to the Soho Theatre from August 1st-10th, before transferring to the Edinburgh Fringe from August 18th-27th, appearing at the Pleasance Courtyard.
Smith-Bynoe will also host the late-night improv show Kiell Smith-Bynoe & Friends: Kool Story Bro, featuring a range of improvisers from the festival, from August 21st to 23rd at the Courtyard.