“Gary” (a member of the audience) is a big Hollywood director and money is no object. He has come to watch the play tonight to see if he thinks the play is worth funding and producing it into a film. The cast of Four are desperate and need his financial backing to help them turn the play into a film.

The movie is Spy Movie: The Play! Jane Blonde (Jo Hartland) and scriptwriter Ian Flemish (Jamie Watterson) are on a mission to stop Evil (Katy Daghorn) and Mr.Hugs (Matthew Howell) from taking over the world.

With Flemish’s script stolen the pair need to get it back. Howell and Daghorn play all the other characters Bond and Flemish meet along the way on their mission, the range is impressive along the amount of dialogue they have to remember. From what I can tell by the flow of the interaction nobody faltered once.

The performance contains a host of scenes many will recognise from the Bond films from downhill skiing chases, a helicopter ride, a train chase across Europe and a submarine scene to name but a few.

For fans of James Bond and the like this comedy spoof has a host of references that they would instantly recognise. As someone who has only seen one James Bond movie many of these went over my head. However, that didn’t stop me from following the storyline and enjoying the full-on action performance.

Spy Movie: The Play! Will be continuing onto the Edinburgh Fringe after the current tour finishes on 18th July. The touring production will be edited to fit into the Fringe performance requirements, It’s a solid Fringe production which is bound to do very well as it’s a family-friendly show. Details are available below.

For more information about Spy Movie:The Play and future productions at The Theatre Royal Winchester please use the link below.

Four Stars.

Photo credit Richard Jarmy.

Produced by Norwich Theatre and written by Jack Michael Stacey and Matthew Howell, the minds behind The New Musketeers (Trinity Theatre) and stars of The Play That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Spy Movie: The Play! is a hilarious homage to Bond movies and fringe theatre suitable for the whole family.

https://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/

https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/spy-movie-play

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/spy-movie-the-play

2025 dates

29-30 April: Norwich Theatre Playhouse
3-4 May: Hertford BEAM
11-12 May: Dumfries and Galloway The Swallow Theatre
24 May: Guildford Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
31 May: Sale Waterside Arts Centre
6 June: Exeter Barnfield Theatre
12 June: Wakefield Theatre Royal
25 June: Winchester Theatre Royal
27 June: Buxton Pavilion Arts Centre
28-29 June: Lichfield Garrick
4 July: Ripon Theatre Festival
12-13 July: Chester Storyhouse
18 July: Middlesbrough Theatre