24 – 27 November

A theatre company that calls itself ‘F*cked Up Fantasy’ is unlikely to create especially sophisticated work, and that proves to be the case with The Greatest Fantasy Trilogy Of All Time, an unashamedly daft show co-written and directed by Joe Makarov that offers one and a bit hours of non-stop silliness. The initial set-up is this: a troupe of ambitious actors, all Tolkien fanatics, are determined to perform a faithful version of the entire Lord Of The Rings trilogy, but they fall foul of two major problems. Firstly, they have been double booked with a Zumba class, so they must get it all done and dusted in little over an hour; and secondly, copyright restrictions dictate that they must avoid any direct reference to the original movies. What could possibly go wrong?

What follows is a farrago of silly wigs, desperate doubling of roles, duff props and some rather laboured versions of the original names of characters and places: Mordor becomes ‘Less Window’ and Gandalf The Grey is transformed into ‘Grandad The Great.’ Ouch. Much of this show undoubtedly relies on a degree of indulgence from the audience, particularly as some of the jokes wear out their initial welcome through over-use. And only those with a detailed recall of those epic films will be able to make much sense of what is going on, for this is not a play for any rare creatures unfamiliar with the habits of hobbits, orcs and dwarves.

However, anyone prepared to cut the show some slack will find much to enjoy. The cast of seven perform over twenty roles with infectious energy and enthusiasm, and in amongst the pervading chaos there lurk some genuinely clever moments. There is a particularly impressive sequence in the second half, courtesy of Billie-Jo Rainbird’s considerable skills as technician, where live action and film are adroitly combined to comic effect. That scene features Lee Beldam’s performance as ‘Callum’ – the Gollum of the original tale. He has this slippery character’s sibilant tones off to a tee, and even manages to briefly inject some real poignancy into his portrayal. There are times when The Greatest Fantasy Trilogy Of All Time could make more of such quieter moments, but the relentlessly frenetic pace allows little room for shifts in mood or for anything more than very broad, cartoonish characterisation.

The arrival of the Zumba class signals both the end of the show and the revelation that there has been a traitor in the camp all along, responsible for that double booking. The Greatest Fantasy Trilogy Of All Time is an unpretentious, affectionate parody that will appeal to any Tolkien enthusiasts with a liking for school-boy knockabout gags, unconvincing swordfights and a bit of audience participation. It may not be great theatre, but it’s fun.

★★★☆☆  Mike Whitton, 25 November 2025

Photography credit: Jordan Davies