Biff to the Future at Wilton’s Music Hall Review
Joseph Maudsley in Biff to the Future
Written by Penny Walshe for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review. All views are our own
Legendary director Robert Zemekis‘ Back to the Future film trilogy, with the first movie released in 1985, remains a firm favourite with cinema fans – it’s the story of plucky High School kid Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) who travels back in time in a scientifically souped up Delorean to save his parents’ marriage. It has inspired a highly successful stage musical and is a classic tale of triumph over adversity, David vs Goliath, underdog vs bully. Hurrah for the underdog, right?
Not in this show.
Tonight, we have an unlikely hero as the iconic film’s villain, one Biff Tannen, takes centre stage and tells the story from his perspective in a highly original (and completely unauthorised!) parody of the beloved film franchise.
As Biff, played by the show’s creator Joseph Maudsley, takes to the stage, he reminds us that he we are in the present day. The present day being 1985. Although the show has plenty of references to the latter films in the franchise – one set in 1895 and one way into the future, 2015, a time so unimaginable that a minor extra from Home Alone 2 will become President! – most of the action that we see comes from the first one.
Maudsley’s script takes us on a fast paced romp through the story, it’s clearly one that he knows very well and whilst poking fun at it, it’s all done with love. He offers witty observations about the not at all strange friendship between 17 year old Marty and 60-something Doc, Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer’s 30 lines across the entire franchise, and the vital importance of the Clock Tower campaigner all come under the microscope, with Maudsley taking on all of the parts with a simple but effective costume change – Marty’s red gilet, Doc’s lab coat and wild hair, and various outfits for our anti-hero Biff reflecting the changes in his fortunes as we travel through time.
The classic Delorean feels like another leading character in the films – on stage we have a remote controlled car! Audience members are invited to drive it into the “flux capacitor” (which looks suspiciously like a tunnel you’d give a cat to play in!) – with appropriate gravitas created with dramatic lighting and haze from the back of the stage. A slight variation on the iconic theme tune is used to great effect every time the words “Back to the Future” are uttered (da, da, da, da-da daaaaah!).
The show is technically excellent, with perfectly timed sound effects to mirror Maudsley’s on stage actions. It’s very slick and, along with a simple set featuring, of course, the clock tower and the various’ characters costumes on hooks, it punches above its weight for a one-man Fringe production. As we go back to the 19th Century, there’s a recurring gag with Biff’s great grandfather blowing dust off his diary – a simple idea that always raises a smile.
Maudsley does a great job navigating the story and all its characters without dropping his energy at all. Everyone, from Biff to Marty’s dweeby dad George, is instantly recognisable. There is some audience interaction that allows for a bit of banter and gives Biff somebody to bounce off on stage – it’s all good fun and well received – none of Biff’s trademark bullying here. The inclusion of a hastily scribbled diagram on a blackboard to explain the various timelines manages to add more questions than it answers but it’s a very funny seqeuence and the confusion entirely deliberate.
With so much content to cram into 70 minutes, there were a few times that the rapid pace was a little hard to follow. Maudsley is naturally rather softly spoken, a little at odds with the brash character he’s playing. Although it would be draining to watch Biff dialled up to eleven throughout the show, it would be good to see a little more of his trademark bluster. The songs that top and tail the show could also do with a little more gusto in delivery, but these are minor quibbles as overall it’s a hugely entertaining and impressive performance that might not see you walking away “Team Biff”, certainly gives you a lot more sympathy for the McFly family nemesis!
Biff to the Future is a very original, funny and affectionate homage to one of the most popular film franchises of all time – full of references that fans of the films will love. If you’re not so familiar with Marty’s adventures, it’s still easy enough to follow (blackboard explanation notwithstanding!) and could inspire a whole new audience to watch the iconic films. For those of us who do know them, it’s definitely inspired a rewatch – this time paying much closer attention to a certain Biff Tannen!
Biff to the Future runs at Wilton’s Music Hall until Saturday 25th April. Find out more and book here.
And after last summer’s very successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe (winning a Fringe Award), it will then return to this summer’s festival, from 6th-30th August. More information here.
★★★★