Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Arcola Theatre, London
Cast: Jack Baldwin, Laurence Pears and Charlie Ives
This Festive Period, you are invited to HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS!
Hold On To Your Butts is a must see “shot-for-shot” parody of the greatest dinosaur film of all time. After selling out in New York and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this wildly inventive tour-de-force of comedy, Foley sound and physical theatre is transferring to London for a strictly limited run.
In 1990 came the novel, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, followed by the blockbuster hit in 1993 of the same name. In 2024 at London's Arcola Theatre comes one of the greatest parodies you'll ever see: Hold On To Your Butts. (That's the show, not a request...although there is much butt holding throughout the 75 minute whirlwind).
Since it first hit the big screen, Jurassic Park has been a favourite among both children and adults. However, to bring such a hugely successful film to a relatively small theatre space with a cast of three is no small feat. Recent Cutbacks have done so with ease, fusing cinema, theatre and comedy into one of the most chaotic productions you'll likely ever witness. And I mean that in the very best way.
This shot by shot parody of Jurassic Park manages to stay true to the material and its characters, while also creating some new but ridiculously funny moments. With just two actors and a foley artist on stage, it could very easily feel cliched and awkward. However, with the use of genius props, lighting design by Christopher Nairne and onstage sound effects from foley artist, Charlie Ives, Hold On To Your Butts is nothing short of a parody masterpiece.
While Laurence Pears and Jack Baldwin interchange between most characters throughout, there are some definite standout moments for each actor. Baldwin's impersonation of Ian Malcolm is scarily brilliant; even down to his mannerisms and slight stutters in the film. His Muldoon and Nedry are also worthy of a mention. Pears shines brightest as the children and Dr Sattler, putting a particular emphasis on how did Ellie get that leg injury? The pair are simply a force to be reckoned with on stage, and it's outrageously impressive what they do with such limited space, time and props.
Part of what sets the scene so well comes from foley artist, Charlie Ives. You almost forget that a person is making most of these sound effects themselves with their mouth and other minimal props, which again, is hugely impressive; particularly the dinosaur sounds.
While the Arcola Theatre is quite small, the cast make full use of the set, audience interaction and the surrounding areas of the theatre. The space is most definitely utilised to its full potential. The velociraptor scene at the end in particular felt immersive, and even quite frightening! No iconic quotes or scenes were forgotten, and every character had a special nod. Even the inclusion of current topics around the actors like Jeff Goldblum, which I personally loved.
To appreciate Hold On To Your Butts to the fullest, I think you need to have seen and loved the film. As a hardcore Jurassic Park fan, I thought it absolutely hysterical. A chaotic masterpiece that deserves all of its success. And why wouldn't you want to see someone with a traffic cone coming out of their butt pretending to be a dinosaur? I'm not sure it gets more iconic than that.
You can book tickets to Hold On To Your Butts, here.
**photo credit: Mark Senior**
No comments