The Park family screening of
Superbolt Theatre provide evidence that you can do something hilarious, new, fun and challenging in an adaptation of a popular culture sensation.
The newly reunited Park family are navigating family tensions as they work their way through the story of Jurassic Park. They recreate the iconic moments on stage with a marvellous simplicity, from the herds of dinosaurs, to a T-Rex chase. They provide just what the audience want to see performed with flair, powerful showmanship, and endlessly flexible physicality. However, there is no need to have seen the film in order to enjoy the show (although it may improve the performance). The story of the family’s surprisingly hard hitting and heart-breaking drama is just as interesting and if not more so than the recreation of Jurassic Park. Watching the family grow closer together, through working as a team to achieve something a little silly and nostalgic, captures something we all love about nerd culture.
This is a slick and seamless production. The trio’s characterisation was extraordinary, they absolutely nailed the essence of each new role. From the family to the more peculiar individuals who arrived onstage, including the highly entertaining and bizarrely educational Mr DNA to an entire scouting team smoothly performed by one person. Obviously in a show like this, what you’re really interested in is the dinosaurs. The three took them in their stride capturing the core of the huge variety of creatures portrayed with comic ease. When props were used, they were woven into the piece with ingenious flexibility. It is impressive how terrifying a rucksack with powerful sound design can be.
Everyone knows and loves Dr Grant, Dr Sattler and Dr Malcolm, but now you can also add the Park family to that list. Superbolt Theatre provide evidence that you can do something hilarious, new, fun and challenging in an adaptation of a popular culture sensation. Whilst exploring the essential message of the original material, that ‘Life finds a way’.
