Car chases, secret weapons, hidden villainous hideaways, schemes and the battle between good and evil; all things that we are associate with the classic spy genre, and Spy Movie The Play (written by Matthew Howell and Jack Michael Stacey) takes all of that and flips it on its head in a hilarious love letter to spy movies that will have the whole family in fits of laughter.
Meet Albert Cabbage (Matthew Howell) and his team as they aim to present the greatest spy movie ever made in search of investors. But with their severely lacking budget, they are forced to present it as a play, with multiple characters being played by just 4 cast members. With makeshift props, many many hats and even a remote control helicopter, the audience are whisked along on a whirlwind adventure that sees secret agent Jane Blonde (Jo Hartland) team up with spy novelist Ian Flemish (James Watterson/Jack Michael Stacey) to stop EVIW, every villain in the world (Emily Waters/Matthew Howell) from using Ian’s manuscript to take over the world.
In this laugh a minute, hour long production, which runs every day except Tuesdays at midday at the Pleasance Beneath, you are treated to witty wordplay, creative use of props that range from Barbie dolls to balloons, innuendo, silliness and countless fun references to the spy movies that we know and love.
Hartland’s Jane Blonde is the cool and sophisticated spy, making everything look easy and taking control of every situation, which Ian Flemish (a role shared by Stacey and Watterson) tries his best to help her whilst being constantly amazed by the world of spies he is only used to writing about. Howell and Waters play multiple roles with various accents throughout, from MI6 leader Mmm and the dastardly Mr Lovely for Waters and hitman Mr Hugs and many an hilariously named agent for Howell to name but a few, with character as individual and brilliantly performed as the last.
In this celebration of all things spy genre, Spy Movie the Play doesn’t take itself to seriously as the cast invite the audience to not only laugh at the story but also to laugh along with them, with clever ad libs and breaking of the fourth wall. It’s very silly, but it is so cleverly put together. It’s a story that you could expect to see in some huge spy blockbuster, pieced together and performed in a style that celebrates both the genre and fringe theatre as a whole with budget props and laughter throughout. You don’t have to be a huge fan of spy movies to understand the references and the brilliant writing means that the adults can laugh at cheeky jokes and innuendo whilst younger audience members can delight in the silly stunts and use of children’s toys as props. Family entertainment just got the spy treatment at the fringe, and it’s thrilling.
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