Have you ever had the thought, while watching Jurassic Park, “this film would be so much better if it was being entirely performed by 2 actors, with minimal props, and another person doing all the sound effects”? No? I’m not surprised, it sounds ridiculous… and guess what… it IS ridiculous, and also funny, clever, and utterly entertaining!
Having read the book a few weeks before, I saw Jurassic Park when it came out at the cinema – I was 12 – and I was blown away. It had actual real dinosaurs in it!! It had some of the most epic creatures ever seen in cinema history, a brilliant story, based on the novel by Michael Crichton, and the effects were lightyears ahead of their time! I was OB-sessed with it. The whole world was obsessed with it. It’s a film that most people have seen many times and is filled with iconic and memorable moments.
This is what makes Hold Onto Your Butts work. Each moment that is being performed and parodied, from the film, is so funny because we know it so well (if you haven’t seen Jurassic Park in years, give it a rewatch before you see HOYB)! From the incredible opening scene where the worker is pulled into the cage, to epic moments like the famous t-rex car chase and the raptor hunt in the kitchen, or the T-rex attacking the car, “Tim, the human piece of toast”, Dr Sattler up to her armpits in Triceratops dung, it’s a movie stuffed with blockbuster scenes and HOYB nails every single one!
When I read that it was a “shot for shot re-enactment”, I was sceptical, but it really and truly is. They reproduced every shot, using some genius techniques and doing fantastic impressions of the characters. When you’re performing so many roles, they are not all going to be spot on and to be honest they are more like caricatures than impressions, but all the characters were instantly recognisable and so much fun. My favourite was definitely Jack Baldwin’s Ian Malcolm, the chaos obsessed mathematician. His Jeff Goldblum bumbling was epically funny whilst also being an almost perfect impersonation.
Other characters were recognised via a prop, or a catchphrase – the killjoy lawyer Gennaro was a tie around a talking hand and kept asking if everything was “up to code” which was perfect, Lex was a purple hat and pony tail, Drs Grant and Malcolm each had different sunglasses but were performed by the same actor, so when they had to speak to each other or in the same scene, it was chaotic and hilarious. I could go on, but I don’t want to spoil the whole show for you!
It’s not just about the acting, though – Charlie Ives, the foley artist, frequently steals the show. Armed with an assortment of everyday objects, from squeaky toys to kitchenware, she creates the soundscape live on stage. The way she brings each roar and rumble to life is nothing short of genius, and the occasional knowing look to the audience as if to say “Yeah, I just did that,” adds another layer of hilarity.
Recent Cutbacks, the New York-based creative ensemble behind the show, clearly love the absurd. Director Kristin McCarthy Parker has orchestrated a piece that feels tightly rehearsed yet joyfully chaotic, allowing the performers’ comedic timing and physicality to shine. There’s a wonderful balance of paying homage to Jurassic Park while embracing the silliness of recreating its epic moments with props you might find in your garage.
The Arcola theatre is small and the set is barebones, but that’s the point – it forces the performers to rely on creativity, timing, and physical comedy to sell each moment. And oh yes, they deliver. From Jack Baldwin’s Jeff Goldblum-esque hip thrusts to Laurence Pears’ over-the-top Gennaro tie puppet, not to mention all the dinosaurs they have to become, there’s an unhinged brilliance in every choice they make. They even occasionally break the fourth wall and either move through or interact with the audience, which just makes the whole show feel unique and intimate.
Despite all the silliness, what really makes Hold On To Your Butts special is its love for the source material. You can feel how much the creators adore Jurassic Park in every detail, joke, callback. It’s a show made for fans by fans, and the joy is infectious.
If you’ve ever wanted to see two actors and a foley artist turn a cinematic masterpiece into a riotous, lo-fi spectacle, this is the show for you. It’s 75 minutes (no interval) of pure, unadulterated fun that will leave you grinning long after you leave the theatre. Just make sure to Hold Onto Your Butts!
“Is this review up to code?”
Book tickets here before the Arcola run ends on 11th January, or find out if the tour is coming to a theatre near you in 2025: www.holdontoyourbutts.co.uk
Words by Nick Barr
Photography Mark Senior
