one4review | On 17, Aug 2025

Spy Movie: The Play! brings its riotous mix of parody and farce to a packed Pleasance Above, delivering an hour of high-energy laughs and affectionate skewering of classic spy tropes.

The show starts with a screenwriter pitching “the greatest spy movie (n)ever made,” and what follows is a gloriously chaotic staging that blurs the line between cinema and theatre. Across the performance, the four-strong cast are superb, each juggling a host of characters, from the wonderfully cast, slick agent Jane Blonde to a string of larger-than-life villains including Mr and Mrs Hugs, Mr Lovely and Mr Jubbly.

It’s a show crammed with clever one-liners, visual gags, and a steady stream of James Bond nods – complete with spoof action sequences, cardboard props, and even tongue-in-cheek “commercial breaks.” The commitment of the cast makes the silliness shine, and their quick-fire switches between roles are as impressive as they are funny.

My only slight quibble was the sheer pace. The delivery is so rapid that some jokes risk being lost, and the plot itself – almost impossible to follow – feels more like an excuse for the mayhem than a core element. But that’s hardly a criticism; the pleasure lies in the frenzy itself.

What results is a good, old-fashioned, farcical Fringe romp: inventive, self-aware, and full of laughter. With its smart writing and high-octane execution, Spy Movie: The Play! is a show well worth catching.

Reviewed by Howard

****

Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Above

12.55 (1hr)

Until 25^th August