The idea of a group of scientists transported back to 60,000 BC trying to save the world from a deadly virus might not sound like the most obvious plot for comedy, but The Butterfly Defect manages to provide plenty of laughs.
The Old Red Lion, a rustic yet shabby pub-cum-theatre in the heart of Islington, is an ideal setting for the production.
It is small and intimate – about 30 people fill the cushioned corner of audience benches.
The room is reminiscent of somewhere you expect to see an A-level drama performance – black walls, minimal staging, boxes that represent a yacht one minute and a throne the next.
Five young actors dressed in white lab coats take the floor in front of the sole piece of staging – a deliberately amateurish cut out of a rocket.
The show begins and we are introduced to the scientists – they must go back in time to stop the invention of a dodgy love potion which threatens humanity. They aim for two years ago but end up going back centuries and travelling through time.
As they enter various eras, the actors take on numerous characters, from Julius Caesar to Charles Dickens to nineties game show contestants. The Virgin Mary’s conversation with God leading to the Immaculate Conception is one particular highlight.
It is frantic, fast-paced and hilarious – the actors bounce off each other with great skill – there is no change of costume or much use of props; they simply transform their lab coats to, for example, Shakespeare’s ruffled collar, and it works.
The rafters are physically shaking with laughter; at one point even the actors cannot contain themselves.
The intimacy of the venue means that while you cannot escape the mistakes, the hilarity is intensified. In a larger theatre, eye contact with the cast is often imagined; here it is most definitely real.
It may not be perfect, but the youthful vibrancy and vitality of the actors make you root for them throughout. The verdict? A perfect, mid-week night out, with a cast talented enough to keep you in fits of laughter from start to finish.
The Butterfly Defect by the Mischief Theatre company runs at the Old Red Lion Theatre on St. John’s Street until March 23. Tickets cost £12, or a donation on ‘Pay What You Can’ Tuesdays.
