Hold On To Your Butts – The Lowry, Salford

Director: Kristin McCarthy Parker

Creators: Recent Cutbacks

At its time of release Jurassic Park held the record for being the highest grossing film of all time. However, equally impressive is that it’ll be one of the few films to feature Samual L Jackson where he doesn’t drop the F- bomb! With this in mind, the comedy theatre group, Recent Cutbacks have taken a line of dialogue from Jackson, “Hold On To Your Butts” and used it as the title for their every expense spared reimagining of the Steven Speilberg blockbuster.

Running in at just over an hour sees Jack Baldwin, Charlie Richards, along with ever present Foley artist Charlie Ives, embark on a live action retelling of this beloved film. Baldwin and Richard’s play all the parts, including Richard Attenborough’s park owner, John Hammond, Sam Neil’s grumpy Paleontologist, Alan Grant, a goat munching Tyrannosaurus rex, and even the goat!

All the iconic scenes are there, from the running Gallimimus scene, to the Velcoraptor attacks. If it sounds absurd, that’s because it is, but it’s no less enjoyable and an absolute joy from start to finish. The tone for the evening is set from the start with a series of trailers for other Recent Cutbacks productions including The Matrix and Brief Encounter projected on a screen. Like a support act for a comic, they do the job of warming up the audience and let you know the next hour will become progressively sillier.

Despite its absurdity, there is at its heart some smart, innovative storytelling. Basic props are used to bring Jurassic Park to life; a cocktail stick with umbrella, is of course a helicopter, an actual umbrella and traffic cone are dinosaurs, and a backpack and cap double up as a pair of kids. Under Kristin McCarthy Parker’s direction the show never feels it’s mean towards its source material, more playful jabs. The premise of Jurassic Park is ridiculous in itself, Hold On To Your Butts just ratchets that up to another level.

The three performances are excellent throughout. Both Jack Baldwin and Charlie Richards are clearly gifted comedic performers. Playing a multitude of characters, it’s exhausting watching them swap between the films cast members, yet the pair make it seem so effortless. One of the undoubted highlights is the bang on point send up of Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm. Whilst watching Baldwin, making a sandwich may be one of the funniest scenes I’ve seen in quite some time.

They supported by the super talented Foley artist, Charlie Ives, who’s comic timing equals that of Baldwin and Richards. Using a wide range of tools, and vocals she provides the soundtrack to the action. Like the show, some of the interactions are innovative, and smart, whilst others are just daft. Ives’ many dinosaur voices vary in quality depending on which beast she’s voicing, which adds another layer of shambolic fun.

The chemistry between the three performers is plain to see, evident when they are attemp to make their fellow performers corpse, which of course adds to your amusement

The enjoyment of the show would be helped with a knowledge of the film, however if you haven’t seen the film you will be no less impressed by the unique storytelling on display. This is a playful, bonkers, yet well crafted comedy. It’s always entertaining, at times hilarious and refreshingly suitable for all the family, and well worth a night out.

Hold On To Your Butts runs until 15th Feburay