“Against all odds, people came, laughed, and told their friends to do the same. This time around, the show’s bigger, slicker, and just as joyfully daft—with extra confetti and a bar even closer to the venue. Win-win”
WHO: Jack Michael Stacey & Matthew Howell
WHAT: “Agent Blonde has 24 hours to save the world. The only things standing in her way are dastardly villains, an outrageous plot, and… a lack of funding. When Hollywood rejects her script, a frustrated screenwriter invites you, an audience of producers, to a one-night-only presentation of The Greatest Spy Movie (N)Ever Made! From two of 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 new hilarious homage to Bond movies and Fringe theatre suitable for the whole family.”
WHERE: Above at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
WHEN: 12:55 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Jack: It’s our second year at the Fringe with SPY MOVIE: The Play! under our A. Cabbage Productions banner (named, naturally, in tribute to the Broccoli family). Last year we debuted in the very cosy Pleasance Beneath. This year, we’ve somehow blagged our way into the 150-seat Above, which is the perfect venue for our show and was always our number one choice!
Matt: Nothing prepares you for the chaos and magic of the Fringe. Last year we brought 50 props, an RC helicopter, and an unfinished script with the tagline “SEX SEX SEX” (suitable for ages 12+). Against all odds, people came, laughed, and told their friends to do the same. This time around, the show’s bigger, slicker, and just as joyfully daft—with extra confetti and a bar even closer to the venue. Win-win.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Jack: We’ve learned that performing at the Fringe is not a sprint or a marathon but a marathon where you sprint the entire time whilst also trying to make people laugh and buy things from you. Last year taught us a lot, mainly the importance of risk assessments. Also, never forget the backup USB. Never.
Matt: Writing a show with chase scenes, fights, and a hundred characters played by four actors is easy. Lugging all of it, and yourself, up the stairs every day? That’s the real work. Did we learn? Technically yes. Did we double the prop count and make it even more ambitious this year? Obviously. It’s Fringe.
Tell us about your show.
Jack: Matt Howell and I wrote SPY MOVIE: The Play! while on tour with Peter Pan Goes Wrong, after years of watching Bond films and dreaming of explosions we could afford. The concept? A screenwriter’s epic spy film gets rejected by Hollywood, so she stages it live on a shoestring. Think gadgets, chases, stunts and plot holes—recreated with cardboard, wigs, conviction and sheer imagination.
Matt: It’s a play-within-a-play. The audience are part of it—cast as Hollywood producers watching a one-night-only “film” come to life onstage. The cast? Entirely ill-equipped but completely committed. Think Mission: Improbable. After a sell-out run in 2024, 5-star reviews, and off the back of our debut UK tour, we’re back with a bigger, wilder version for 2025.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Jack: Definitely check out …Earnest? – it’s Oscar Wilde meets Fringe anarchy and it’s brilliant. TAROT: Cautionary Tales always manage to be strange, funny and kind of profound. Paul Merton and Suki Websters improv is a fantastic night of comedy with special guests and, finally, Shoot From The Hip – they are an improv troupe on the top of their game and only on for a limited run so catch them while you can!
Matt: We’re huge fans of Gary Starr. If you like your shows unhinged, heartwarming and a bit filthy (in a good way), you’re in for a treat.
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