one4review | On 08, Aug 2025

Recent Cutbacks, the theatre collective behind the smash hit show Hold On To Your Butts are back again with a new low budget cinematic summary to go alongside it, this time it’s every nerd’s favourite date night movie, Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

As with their flagship show, the premise is simple and effective – a group of talented performers act out the plot of the film, assuming multiple roles and using mime, minimal props, silly voices, costumes that consist of “a hoodie” and some delightful shadow puppets, ably supported by live sound effects provided by a Foley artist and an acapella soundtrack. The film is summarised extremely faithfully, with crowd pleasing lines said verbatim and the occasional (but not too intrusive) gag thrown in to point out plot holes or silly character choices.

The undisputed star of the show for me is definitely the Foley artist, who sits at a desk beside the action. I was enjoying looking over and seeing the various cups, wobble boards, coconuts, whathaveyou being used so much, I would have preferred the desk to be on a platform centre stage like a rave DJ as it definitely feels like the most unique aspect to the show. That’s not to take anything away from the other performers who all do an excellent job (in particular a pitch-perfect Sean Bean impression).

More so than Hold On To Your Butts, I feel that an in depth knowledge of the original film increases the enjoyment of the show as the majority of the laughs comes from the silliness of seeing the scenes being pantomimed. There is perhaps a question mark over whether being so accurate to the original screenplay might actually be hobbling the performance. It’s noticeable in the ending which, sticking to the original ending, with hobbits Sam and Frodo just having a gentle chat as they move into the distance, feels slightly anticlimactic.

There’s little doubt, however, that Recent Cutbacks are on to a winning formula here, and I look forward to seeing where they take it next.

****

Reviewed by Tom

Pleasance courtyard – Beyond

15.10 (1hr)

Until 25 Aug (not 18)