In the age of the all-too-common remake, prequel, or sequel, it is easy for Hollywood franchises to feel boring and tired. It is an era that calls for a successful means of survival, and one of these methods is, of course, the art of parody. Of this genre, Hold on to Your Butts is a prime (or primal) example. It is a parody of the classic 1993 film Jurassic Park, performed by two actors, Jack Baldwin and Charlie Richards, and one foley artist, Charlie Ives. This is an epic tale of tiny proportions.
Its small-scale spectacle allows for the type of perfect ‘chaos’ only achievable in lo-fi theatre; it is simultaneously extremely polished, and extremely messy. As we can tell from the opening teaser trailers – setting the scene for the play to come, and for Recent Cutbacks as a company – there is a preoccupation with silly but satisfying humour. This can be seen in the creative transposition of film to theatre; camera angles and the framing of certain filmic shots are captured through black frames, held up to draw our attention to a specific image or item (like a glass of water). These are the moments of genius—when not only the film’s content, but also its form, is captured in a new and outrageous setting.
This staging allows for excellent physical comedy, a realm that is also underscored by one of the most striking parts of the show: the sound. Charlie Ives, the foley artist, creates sound effects in line with the action. The booming footsteps and distant roar of a dinosaur, for instance, or the fast typing of the characters in the control room. The interplay between Ives’ sound and the action sequences worked perfectly, contributing to both the show’s comedy and its faux-filmic atmosphere.
Another aspect of the small (but mighty) scale of the production can be seen in the constraints and potentials of multi-roling. Single props act as the creatively low-budget ‘costumes’ for the characters: Sam Neill’s iconic sunglasses, for instance; Jeff Goldblum’s normal glasses; or a crown of party hats for the triceratops. But the props can only go so far— they rely on, and act as emphasis to, the performances. Inseparable from the prevalence of the two types of glasses in this story – Jeff Goldblum’s glasses and Sam Neill’s sunglasses - are the actions that make these props so important. In the vast array of accents, mannerisms, and various impressions, Baldwin and Richards truly thrive. The endless process of switching between the characters - sometimes effortlessly, sometimes less so (to great comedic effect) - is, in and of itself, endlessly entertaining to watch. But these transitions occur in conjunction with the near perfection of the characterisations and impressions that Baldwin and Richards oscillate between, making for a consistently funny and engaging piece of theatre.
Occasionally, in male-dominated casts with limited numbers (and heavy multi-roling), there is a tendency to lapse into stereotypical depictions of female characters. It was noticeable - to me, at least - that while Jeff Goldblum’s mathematician and Sam Neill’s scientist were uniquely and recognisably them, Laura Dern’s character was simply woman. Perhaps this is something to be taken up with the source material, and perhaps, too, it does not do well to compare; Jeff Goldblum – with all his quirks and eccentricities - is, after all, one of the most unique and recognisable people to ever grace the screen.
So, as the line goes, ‘God creates dinosaurs, God destroys dinosaurs, God creates Man, Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.’ And after that: a parody show, in which Man becomes dinosaur, saves humankind. Perhaps, Hold on to Your Butts can only be fully and whole-heartedly enjoyed by pre-existing Jurassic Park fans. It would be difficult - given the consistent fast pace of the show - to keep up without a level of familiarity with the original film. Yet, still, this is a ridiculous, entertaining, and enormously fun production, and it would be difficult not to appreciate its supreme chaos.
Hold on to Your Butts is playing at The Lowry until 15th February, before continuing its UK tour.
★★★★☆ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return in an honest review | Photography by Mark Senior
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