The Tolkien parody Fly, You Fools! plays its first London dates at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 25 November, after two sold-out seasons at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Tickets are on sale now.
Fly, You Fools! arrives at Southwark Playhouse Borough this winter for its first London run. It opens on Wednesday 25 November 2026 and is booking through to Saturday 16 January 2027, with press night on Friday 27 November. Tickets are on sale now.
The show is a live, shot-for-shot parody of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, made by Recent Cutbacks, the company behind Hold on to Your Butts. Four performers cover the whole of Middle-earth between them, using physical comedy, mime, character impersonations, live sound effects and a good deal of stage ingenuity. The 178-minute film comes in at 60 minutes on stage.
It reaches London in the 25th anniversary year of the film's release, and on the back of two sell-out seasons at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Times gave it five stars there, its critic writing: "If I had a sixth star at my disposal, I'd gladly add it to the rating... Genius, sheer genius."
Kristin McCarthy Parker, who directs the show and co-founded Recent Cutbacks, 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."
The announcement was timed for Hobbit Day. 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 production is presented by Peter Huntley and Callum Runciman for Smart Entertainment, Heather Shields for Rigor + Ruckus, and Recent Cutbacks, in association with 2nd Row Comedy. After the London run the show travels to Birmingham Rep for five performances, from Wednesday 20 to Saturday 23 January 2027.
