The Lord of the Rings parody Fly, You Fools! to premiere in London and Birmingham

Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit Fly, You Fools! will receive its London premiere.

The show is set to play from 25 November 2026 to 16 January 2027 at Southwark Playhouse Borough. An opening night will take place on 27 November. Following its London run, Fly, You Fools! will head to Birmingham Rep for five performances from 20 January to 23 January.

Created by the team behind Hold On To Your Butts, Recent Cutbacks, the show is a live, shot-for-shot parody of the first Lord of the Rings film. Featuring four performers, they use physical comedy, live sound effects, and mime to help recreate Middle-earth on stage and turn the epic 178-minute film into a 60-minute theatrical experience. It received a four-star review from WhatsOnStage’s chief critic Sarah Crompton last year. This run comes in the 25th anniversary year of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Director, producer and co-founder of Recent Cutbacks, Kristin McCarthy Parker said: “We’ve been dreaming about bringing Fly, You Fools! to London for years, and I’m over the moon that it’s finally happening in the film’s 25th anniversary year. Watching UK audiences fall for Hold On To Your Butts in 2024 and 2025, and then for Fools at the Fringe these past two summers, convinced me this show belongs here. I really think we have a holiday hit on our hands, for Tolkien nerds and the whole family.”

Producer Peter Huntley said: “When we saw Fly, You Fools! at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, we knew we had to find a way to bring this extraordinary show to London. I’m delighted that we are announcing this production on Hobbit Day, the very same day that Bilbo celebrates his eleventy-first birthday at the start of our tale.”

The piece was originally performed by Nick Abeel, Kyle Schaefer and Matt Zambrano, it has Foley by Blair Busbee, a cappella arrangements by Kelsey Didion, key art by Ligature Creative, lighting design by James Appleby and is directed by Kristin McCarthy Parker. It is produced by Huntley and Callum Runciman for Smart Entertainment, Heather Shields for Rigor + Ruckus and Recent Cutbacks, in association with 2nd Row Comedy.