Caught Indy! at the Edinburgh Fringe.
A very solid, super fun romp that stops just short of being a masterpiece. True to the Mischief Theatre style of comedy, it hooks you right from the start with a pitch-perfect recreation of the opening scene of Raiders, leaning heavily into quintessential British silliness.
The show brilliantly takes recognizable elements - iconic set pieces, beloved characters, and memorable music—and twists them into something entirely fresh and uproarious. It is packed with physical comedy, adult humor, behind-the-scenes fandom references, and playful nods to dated Hollywood tropes, alongside great interactive touches like pulling audience members up to play henchmen.
However, it oddly skips major set pieces from the films, such as the classic truck chase and the mechanic fistfight. It relies primarily on Toht to represent the Nazis as a general enemy, completely leaving out iconic rivals like Belloq or Walter Donovan, along with any nods to their characters or memorable scenes. Furthermore, with Indy occasionally played a bit too dim-witted, the narrative feels a bit thin in the middle.
Ultimately, it is an immensely entertaining 70 minutes of Fringe comedy that delivers a solid amount of laughs for any Indiana Jones fan. While the cast brings fantastic energy to the stage, the show just doesn't quite reach legendary status.
Has anyone else caught it yet? What did you think?