Review: HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS, Arcola Theatre

“Welcome to Jurassic Park”

Created by Recent Cutbacks and directed by Kristen McCarthy Parker, Hold On To Your Butts is a “shot for shot” parody of the iconic Jurassic Park film, with three actors taking on the movie in only seventy minutes (the original film has a runtime of two hours and seven minutes). Jack Baldwin and Laurence Pears take on nearly all of the characters (yes, even Mr. D.N.A makes an appearance!) through simple costume and prop changes. 

Before the show, there are several trailers for upcoming films, including a hilarious recreation of The Matrix and some concepts based on truly terrible (read: great) puns. It’s a great introduction into what we will be seeing for the next seventy minutes - pure, silly chaos lovingly lifted from films we know and love. Creative choices has been made to keep things as simple as possible, which is used perfectly, from three party hats being used to turn an actor into a triceratops to a cocktail umbrella being used as a helicopter to the whispered “Barbasol” whenever the famous prop makes an appearance. 

After seeing the show at the Arcola Theatre, it’s clear why it was such a hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - it’s perfect for everyone. For those unfamiliar with Jurassic Park, not too worry - this condensed version of the film is still a solid recreation of the original, though I would recommend giving the film a watch beforehand for additional enjoyment of Easter eggs and references.

For those who love the film, get ready to be in tears of laughter as even the smallest beloved moments are given their chance to shine, like Hammond cloning himself in the introductory video and Lex Murphy’s green Jello shaking. There’s also some silly foreshadowing, including a factoid about one of the dinosaurs being venomous. 

One of my favourite characters, Ian Malcolm, played in the film by Jeff Goldblum, is played by both Baldwin and Pears throughout Hold On To Your Butts. Baldwin tends to take on the role more, including a perfect interpretation of the (in)famous scene in which Malcolm reclines, shirtles, as well as other scenes where he “uh, ers” his way through.

Pears also shines as Alan Grant, absolutely nailing the moments when he shakily removes his sunglasses in shock or expresses his distaste for children. Even minor characters are given their chance to shine, including Ray Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson) who appears with more cigarettes in his mouth in each scene and Dr. Henry Wu, who is exclusive referred to as BD Wong, the actor who played him in the film. 

An unexpected highlight of Hold On To Your Butts? Charlie Ives, the show’s live Foley artist. For those reading who are just as unfamiliar with the concept of a Foley artist as I was before seeing the show, a Foley artist uses props and a range of equipment to create the everyday sounds heard in media like film, television and video games. In the programme, there are several examples of how different sounds are made throughout the show, like using blowing into a jar to make the noises of a Jeep going through the park. Ives is completely in tune with the Baldwin and Pears, easily keeping in time with them for over an hour as they switch scenes and characters. She also has some opportunities to be involved away from the table where her equipment is, including a particularly spectacular dinosaur reveal!

There are some moments in which, as one might expect in a comedy show with so many quick changes, things go wrong, like one moment in which Baldwin struggles to get a Hawaiian shirt on in time for a scene as Dennis Nedry, which goes completely unseen and unacknowledged by Pears, making it even funnier. There are also several times when it becomes clear that Baldwin and Pears are messing with Ives, having her vamp for much longer than needed with sound effects like dinosaur noises and an especially long sandwich-making segment. The moments when the three actors break tend to become highlights of the show, perfectly illustrating the spontenaeity and joy of the performances. 

Hold On To Your Butts is a brilliant and loving parody of Jurassic Park that is a fantastic show for not only fans of the original film but for anyone looking for a laugh this winter. A famous quote from the film is, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” Thank goodness Recent Cutbacks didn’t stop to think if they should either!

Hold On To Your Butts runs until 11 January 2025 at the Arcola Theatre. 

Photo Credits: Mark Senior

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