Yippee Ki Yay MotherF*cker indeed – charming parody of Die Hard that has the audience giggling as the poetry slams home
Renowned storyteller Richard Marsh, a recipient of the Fringe First award, London poetry slam championship, and BBC Audio Drama Best Scripted Comedy Drama award, brings a delightful twist to the classic film Die Hard. Marsh presents a show that garnered rave reviews during its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe and is now set to make its London debut before embarking on an international tour – next stop Adelaide fringe.
In this joyfully funny production, off-duty policeman John McClane becomes the last hope for hostages when gunmen take control of an LA skyscraper, whilst Rich jumps through all the hoops available to bring his own love story to a romantic ending. This uplifting 75 minute show, labeled as an unauthorized parody, lovingly pays homage to the beloved 80s fan favourite whilst adding a heartwarming personal touch that nicely balances the die-hard Die Hard trivia.
Marsh has got a commanding stage presence that demands the audience’s attention, gaining belly laughs, woof whistles and sympathetic cooing at all the requested points. He’s got a real talent for bringing audience onside and is comfortable breaking the fourth wall to confide in us as well as improvising when sound effects miss their cues. I’m always nervous when Fringe productions transition to a big stage as sometimes the lack of intimacy can make some solo performers stumble over delivery and engagement with their audience. Marsh has no such qualms – there were a few stumbled one-liners but not to be surprised when he’s monologuing in rhyme for over an hour and after any slip up, the cadence and rhythm was always professionally and smoothly resumed.
The movement and set complemented the simplicity of the story beautifully – no fancy frills detracted from Marsh’s delivery but funny little additions including a budget waterfall and an adorable teddy garnered continuous laughter and almost enough praise to be considered co-actors.
My party of four consisted of two who very rarely frequent the theatre and they loved every minute. Marsh has a universal appeal to film aficionados, nerds and theatre-lovers – there’s something for everyone. There’s no doubt he’ll be received well at the Adelaide Fringe – even if they’re not totally au fait with Die Hard 😉