Acting out Every Film Ever Made is surely a most ambitious endeavour, but Rob Lloyd, Adam McKenzie and Tegan Higgenbotham come as close as anybody could come in a hour show. Ploughing through movies at an impressive pace (I lost count after fifty), the energy and skill of this trio is mindblowingly impressive.
From the instantly recognisable opening sequence, the audience is taken on a hectic ride through the world of Film. Starting with the complete plot of Terminator crammed into less than 30 seconds, dozens of films are reduced to their essential points to impressive and constantly hilarious effect. Some films, particularly more nerd-friendly fare such as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars get extended coverage, whereas some films are comprehensively dismissed with as little as a single line. Each film blends seamlessly into the next, some as simple as the jump from Singing in the Rain to the riverboat scene of Willy Wonka, to more absurd transitions such as that from Casablanca to Transformers.
As the show progresses, films are covered at an ever increasing pace, to the point where entire genres and careers are covered with a single sound. Montages of sword fights and gun fights flicker through a dozen easily recognisable films in seconds. There were a couple of films sprinkled throughout that I didn’t recognise, but the pace of the show would find me in familiar territory again within a matter of moments. Some summaries were condensed faithfully enough to give the full feeling of the original, while others provided some biting criticisms of both plots and actors. There was also a lot of coverage of the films as a whole, exposing the recycling of a tiny number of base plots and a great little section on movie survival rules.
Even more impressive than the sheer amount of material that is presented is the fact that this show is more than just a collection of short sketches. Running jokes weave their way throughout the show, with films and actors making recurring performances. The performers discussing the ambitiousness of their task also plays out throughout the show, leading to conflicts and resolutions that give the show a binding narrative that’s interesting in it’s own right – as well as providing a jumping of point into more and more films.
After the success of Hound of the Baskervilles at both this years comedy festival and last years fringe festival, this amazing second show has cemented these performers as must see attractions for this and future festivals. It’s hard to imagine how they will top this performance with their next show, but I’m sure they will. I cannot recommend this show highly enough.
For further details and bookings, see the fringe festival website