“One man show takes on a beloved pop-culture property” is a staple for geek-friendly theatre. After all, if you’re already a fan of the thing being parodied, chances are you’re going to enjoy the parody show as well.
Biff to the Future tells the tale from the perspective of Biff, the dumb bully who serves as both a threat and a comic foil for Marty and Doc throughout the Back to the Future trilogy. In the movies, Biff is mostly an unlikable villain who continually makes the lives of everyone around him worse. He is broadly irredeemable, and this fun, one-man comedy show doesn’t make him any more likeable. It does make him a lot more laughable, though, which is good, as this is a comedy show.
This is a fairly slick show, in which props and quick costume changes are used to not only tell the story of the Back to the Future trilogy, but also point out the funniest flaws in the movie. Actor Joseph Maudsley not only has to take on the role of Biff, but also has to be everyone else in that movie. He does this with skill, wit and with his tongue rammed firmly in his cheek. It’s a very strong performance.
We get some fun audience participation bits, such as a quick lesson in how not to drive a time machine and some strategic uses of wigs. The pace is rapid and engaging, and it’s very funny. The show is mostly about the first movie, with some carefully added flashbacks to Biff’s descendants to help explain the other two movies in such a way that it doesn’t get in the way of the fun.
If the format sounds a little bit familiar, you may be unsurprised to learn that Biff to the Future is produced by the same people who brought us Buffy Revamped, and it has a similar vibe. Biff is no one’s favourite character, and by the end of this show, that won’t have changed, but you may find yourself falling in love with Back to the Future again. Funny, clever and filled with nostalgia. You’ll want to go back in time so you can see this one again and again. Fantastic fun.
You can book tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe run here and find out more about future shows here.
