(3 / 5)

Every 80’s and 90’s kids will remember the nostalgia of watching Home Alone at Christmas. A cult classic, whether you’re a fan or not, you will know some of the well known clips and scenes, even from popular culture. Recent Cutbacks take our nostalgia and turn it on its head to present satirical remakes of these well known films, eliciting plenty of fun and comedy for all ages.

I will firstly admit and, will probably lose some of you in the process to say, Home Alone isn’t really a favourite of mine. I have of course seen it many times, especially as a 90’s kid, but it never really hooked me like it has others. And maybe that’s where it lost me to some degree. But it was no less comedic and fun to watch.

As the company’s name suggest, there’s a slight essence of the amateur about the production – and this is purposeful. The reenactments are sort of done with what they found in the kitchen cupboard and out of the attic and this in itself brings so much comedy in how they have tried to replicate with random dolls or hand made items. They have made little dollhouse style scenes in shoe boxes which are projected on the screen for us to see. The transitions between the scenes are seamless and when they bring in a green screen for some of the actors and larger puppets is so very clever.

The audience do get interacted with; puppets come into the audience and they use the stairs and sometimes us to try and recreate some of the trick-scenes against the villains. The ability to open up the space this way is very effective and let’s us become more immersed.

The performers themselves only start to be full physical acting roles with us further into the story, starting out as voices as we watch the miniatures being filmed. They are melodramatic and satirical of the show, adding the odd ad lib to say what we’re all thinking of the story-line – how did she forget him? Why was the neighbour in the line-up count able to be mistaken for one of the children, eliciting laughter over the obvious and mick taking.

KEVIN!!!!! is good fun. A unique take on theatre, really well thought out and evident of a bunch of 80’s and 90’s kids with a nostalgic obsession, it gives you a good giggle, whether a fan of the film or not.