Q&A: Recent Cutbacks on KEVIN!!!!! and Their Biggest Fringe Yet

From Jurassic Park to The Lord of the Rings, Recent Cutbacks have built a reputation for transforming blockbuster films into ingenious, low-fi comedy. This year they're tackling Home Alone with KEVIN!!!!!, a playful celebration of puppetry, live filmmaking and theatrical invention. We spoke to director and producer Kristin McCarthy Parker about bringing three shows to the Fringe and why making joyful theatre matters.

You've parodied Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings for Fringe, what made Home Alone the right film to tackle next, and what does it offer that your previous shows didn't?

We were drawn to the playfulness of Home Alone and excited to do a holiday film. KEVIN!!!!! actually premiered in NYC the same year as Fly, You Fools!, and we had experimented with live projections for Fools but scrapped it for a more pared-back version of the show. Fully exploring live projections on KEVIN!!!!! became a central part of the concept. Puppets followed as a natural way to capture a more childlike, playful sensibility. Fools and Hold On To Your Butts also had more self-serious source material, and we were excited to figure out how we could parody a film that’s already a comedy.

The show uses green screen, live-feed footage, miniature sets and multiple scales of puppetry, all built from recycled materials. How do you begin to plan something so technically complex in a space where get in and get out is so short?

Not easily :) We actually took a break from performing KEVIN!!!!! for several years because it felt like such a massive lift. All the stuff just sat in our parents’ basements. But venues kept asking us when we were touring KEVIN!!!!!, so last year we did a run in the US that scaled back the production and updated our technology. I remade almost all of our mini sets to break down flat for easier storage, and we’re using a bunch of collapsible rolling carts with all our onstage props and puppets for quicker load-ins. The technology is all internal: iPhones plugged into our projector, everything running from an onstage QLab. We did warn the venue that our storage needs this year were a bit higher maintenance, but so far everyone seems to be on board.

The entire theatre becomes the McCallister house and the cast moves through the audience in parts. How did you work out how to use that space?

It’s born out of the venue where we premiered the show (The PIT), which had 8 unique entrances, including from the back of the house. While every venue presents differently (e.g. we can’t enter from the back of the house at Pleasance), we like to keep this element active by using the stairs and bringing the action closer to the audience. The show intentionally scales itself up: we start in miniature with live projections, then we introduce muppet-sized puppets and green screen, then we introduce full-scale puppets and a more immersive use of the space. We still have questions about exactly how we’ll navigate the space at Fringe, but let’s just say… there will be a zipline.

You're bringing three shows to Pleasance this August. How do you manage the logistics of running KEVIN!!!!!, Fly You Fools! and Hold on to Your Butts simultaneously?

We started with just Butts in 2024, then ran Butts and Fools together in 2025, and now all three. It’s been a progressive build, and we’ve learned a lot along the way. Aside from the Butts encores, most of the cast is only doing one show, so we can divide and conquer tasks like flyering, laundry, groceries, etc. As producer, I’m delegating a bit more of the small stuff so I can focus on KEVIN in its UK premiere. We also have a really great Lighting Designer / Stage Manager (James Appleby) who has run all our shows at Fringe since 2024, so we’re in good hands for the day-to-day aspect of production. We love how audiences will see one show and then buy tickets to the next. The shows all have a similar sensibility but with very different executions, and it’s fun to showcase our company’s evolution across concurrent runs.

Hold on to Your Butts went from Edinburgh to a UK tour to Off-Broadway — how has that journey shaped how you're thinking about KEVIN!!!!!?

We know the UK loves a holiday show and we are exploring future engagements for KEVIN!!!!! The family-friendly nature of Butts and KEVIN!!!!! has made the shows really accessible in a way we didn’t anticipate when we built them, especially for Kevin around the holidays. Fortunately, there are UK irons in the fire for next season, so stay tuned! Overall, it’s been thrilling to perform here, where audiences seem really keen on our fringe-y style and sense of humour.

You describe the company's signature style as "joyful and hilarious" — in a world of very serious theatre, how important is it to you to keep making work that is purely and unashamedly fun?

I love all theatre and think more art in the world is always a good thing, so I’m a big fan of the Fringe and the astonishing array of shows here. Recent Cutbacks realised long ago that our particular niche was comedy, and we hope our work inspires people to make something with literally whatever they have lying around their flat. It doesn’t have to be fancy to connect with people — sometimes quite the opposite — and the catharsis of a good laugh really does make the world a better place. We do take the work seriously; there’s a rigour underneath all our work, but a sense of playfulness and imagination are what we hope the audience leaves the theatre with.

Recent Cutbacks is bringing Fly, You Fools!, Hold On To Your Butts and Kevin!!!!!, to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August.

Fly, You Fools! is at Pleasance Courtyard, Beyond, 5 – 31 Aug 2026 (not 13, 24), 15:00. Ticket information here: Fly, You Fools! | Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Hold On To Your Butts is at Pleasance Courtyard, Forth, 12, 19 and 26 August, 20:30. Ticket information here: Hold On To Your Butts | Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Kevin!!!!! is at Pleasance Courtyard, Forth 5 – 31 Aug 2026 (not 13, 24), 12:20. Ticket information here: KEVIN!!!!! | Edinburgh Festival Fringe