Hold On To Your Butts, Pleasance Courtyard Forth Review
Written by Eloise Thody (Instagram: @eloise.thody) for Theatre and Tonic
Two actors, one foley artist and ‘Jurassic Park’. What could go wrong? Turns out, not much – as this one-hour show is seamless and full of hilarity. The concept is simple – two actors multi-roll all of the characters of ‘Jurassic Park’, recreate the whole film, shot for shot, with a foley artist adding sound effects as they go.
This was a masterclass in Foley work – and was excellently demonstrated by Kristin Parker, who brings to life some of the most iconic scenes using day to day items and a microphone. The connection between foley and performance was seamless, the two actors, Nick Abeel, and Laurence Pears, working hard to keep the pace up, and laughter levels high.
The venue is large – holding 257 at maximum capacity – and the show has been consistently selling out. The show uses its space well, considering you’ve only got two actors – the space feels full of action at every moment.
If you’re worried that you haven’t seen ‘Jurassic Park’, or you don’t know it very well – do not panic. Although a familiarity with the characters helps to fully enjoy the caricatures created on stage, you don’t need to have studied the director’s cut to find this show engaging. However, if you’re more of a ‘Lord of the Rings’ fan, then you’re in luck – Recent Cutbacks has another show on at the Fringe, ‘Fly, You Fools!’ Which follows the same format with three actors and a foley artist, in a shot-for-shot parody of ‘Lord of the Rings’.
Absolutely try and catch ‘Hold On To Your Butts’ before it finishes on the 25th August 2025. You can watch the dinosaurs come to life 12.30-13.30pm at the Pleasance Courtyard Forth. Sit back, relax, and get prepared to laugh non-stop for an hour!
★ ★ ★ ★
