Writers and Directors: Matthew Howell & Jack Michael Stacey
Spy Movie: The Play! is a real testament to committing to the role. In the opening speech, the audience is asked to suspend disbelief and immerse themselves into the world of Hollywood and epic spy movies. The Hope Theatre is the perfect setting to bring the hilarity of this work to life. The juxtaposition of Hollywood glamour against the noise of sirens wailing as they pass this cosy pub in Islington forces the audience to commit fully to the ridiculousness of the world brought to life.
The strong comedic script follows the adventures of spy novelist ‘Ian Flemish’ and secret agent ‘Jane Blonde.’ The writing balances just the right amount of slapstick humour with suggestive puns and witty one-liners. Having starred in Goes Wrong (West End and UK Tour) productions, writers Matthew Howell and Jack Michael Stacey have clearly taken inspiration while making their show its own.
Giving the writing life, the cast of four does a fantastic job building each individual character, multi-rolling seamlessly and relying on nothing more than distinguishable characterisation and the help of the odd hat. Although a short production, it is high energy throughout with the cast being consistently busy: if they are not centre stage, it is highly likely they are responsible for setting the scene with handmade props, sound effects or water guns.
The self-proclaimed lack of budget truly adds to the charm of this piece of theatre. It just goes to show with a solid script and a gaggle of brilliant actors all you really need to bring a Hollywood-level spy movie to life is a couple of dodgy curtains, a few pieces of cardboard and some props from the local party shop.
The one-act, one-hour play maintains a punch throughout, keeping the audience engaged and entertained. It is sure to steal a laugh from even the toughest of audiences. There may be some fine-tuning needed to keep the pace towards the end of the show, but the brief lull does not detract from the overall success of the play.
This short and snappy play is a guaranteed good time and much welcomed distraction from the chaos of the festive period.
Runs until 23 December 2023
