INDY! is a laugh-out-loud, fun, goes-wrong inspired parody which satirises the original Indiana Jones trilogy — that is, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade — with razor-sharp, self-referential humour, and a genuine sense of affection for the material.
Like myself, the creators clearly love the original Jones trilogy, and take great pleasure in poking fun at the plot lines, while eloquently (and succinctly) abbreviating them into a 70 minute romp. INDY! neither takes itself too seriously or holds back in the tried and tested — and, possibly, slightly tired — format of the Play That Goes Wrong. If you like this type of comedy, then this may be the new Edinburgh Fringe show for you. There are moments of genuinely impressive stagecraft, not least a memorable montage in Marion’s bar from the first film, as well as a brilliantly pantomimic sense of irony with regards to the lack of things like snakes. This possibly has roots in the postmodern panto tradition: a production successfully poking fun at its own inability to reach a particular level of theatricality due to (e.g.) budget constraints or fringe get-in times. This worked for me.
That said, at a certain point along the way, this formula of unpredictability does become predictable. Perhaps this is because INDY! is so fundamentally steeped in different traditions, cliches, and comic ornaments that we know and recognise; it could have gone further and played things a little less safe, a little less close-to-home. But that certainly doesn’t mean it isn’t a bona fide piece of satire — it may not be cutting edge or even particularly original, but it is a very fun time.
INDY!, Gilded Balloon at the Museum, until 30 Aug (not 26), 4.15pm