Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Low Down
A lightning-paced, lovingly ridiculous parody of The Fellowship of the Ring, packed with physical comedy and ingenious sound effects.
Review
Fly, You Fools! is an irreverent, high-energy replay of the epic fantasy film The Fellowship of the Ring. A loving crafted one hour take on Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy from the early 2000s.
It is worth noting that the parody draws entirely from the structure and shot choices of the film rather than Tolkien’s novel, so superfans of Jackson’s work will enjoy an extra layer of ‘inside joke’ humour. throughout. That said, even if you’ve never seen the movie, the sheer talent, slapstick ability and inventiveness on display will keep you laughing, though you might miss a few of the more niche inclusions along the way.
The trio of performers behind the show are serious triple threats. Not singing, dancing and acting, but acting, improv and physical theatre. There is a clear sense of them keeping each other on their toes live on stage, adding unexpected flourishes in the moment and leaning into the wonderful chaos. The improvisational skill it must have taken to shape a piece like this in rehearsal speaks to both their discipline and creativity. Kyle Shaefer puts in an excellent turn as Aragorn, the voice in particular is a perfect match. Nick Abeel’s Gandalf captures the essence of Ian McKellan’s performance to a tee and Regan Sims is outstanding as a naive and put upon Frodo.
The set pieces build in ridiculousness: from the absurdity of trying to play all four hobbits at once (with only three actors), to increasingly imaginative ways of showing us the magic and menace of Middle-earth. Highlights include re-enacting The Mines of Moria, Boromir’s gloriously over-the-top death and a handful of references to the many memes spawned from the film over the last two decades.
All of this is elevated by the intricate foley work from Kelly Robinson, whose on-stage soundscape enhances every moment. From the use of classic coconut clapping for horse hooves to perfectly tinkling ring chimes, scarily accurate screeching orcs and ethereal humming, it’s a constant delight.
Fly, You Fools! is unmissable for fans of the films. Unmissable if you have a funny bone and an appreciation for inspired and brilliant physical comedy and impressions.
