Tarantino Live: Fox Force Five and the Tyranny of Evil Men at Riverside Studios

Anyone who has ever felt that the theatre industry has become a little stale (will we continue to adapt Shakespeare until the end of time?) and could do with a shake-up need look no further than For the Record, the production company testing the boundaries of theatrical entertainment with its unique blend of film, live music, cabaret and stage show. In the wake of a number of other iconic films and filmmakers having already had the For the Record treatment (namely Richard Curtis’s famed romcom in Love Actually Live, Martin Scorsese’s work in American Crime Requiem and the dazzling world of Baz Lurhman in Star-Crossed Love, the latest instalment to hit our shores is Tarantino Live: Fox Force Five and the Tyranny of Evil Men, which takes as its source material the revered director’s filmography, deconstructs it and brings it back together anew in the form of an electrifying show. In the words of Tarantino himself, “This shouldn’t work, but it works. It works really well.”

Landing somewhere between a musical like We Will Rock You based on the music of Queen, an immersive live cinematic experience such as Secret Cinema, and a full-blown rock concert, it’s a tantalisingly fresh and original concept that arguably is a genre unto itself. Spanning almost the entirety of Tarantino’s output, including Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Jackie Brown, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight and Once upon a Time in Hollywood, it takes as its foundation the nostalgic 70s-infused soundtracks, which are then populated with his larger-than-life characters and most surreal, iconic and hilarious scenes, splicing them back together again in a new format split into thematic chapters, such as “The Black Suit” and “Wartime Relations”. Key scenes are reenacted by a role-swapping ensemble cast, and corresponding songs are performed live, while a narrative thread is provided by the female characters that appear in his films, such as the sword-wielding Bride and Jackie Brown, forming the titular Fox Force Five.

At times it could feel the concept is a bit self-limiting in its approach of invoking entire chunks of dialogue verbatim and scenes frame-for-frame from the movies in a meta mish-mash that perhaps loses some of the narrative momentum of an enclosed story – and, indeed, it relies heavily on the audience’s pretty thorough knowledge of the Tarantino Cinematic Universe for the full impact of the references to hit home – but it more than succeeds in bringing all the deliciously dark humour, witty banter and blood-splatteringly brazen violence from his stories, with creative use of projected visuals and stage setups seamlessly transporting viewers from one heightened movie world to another. The manner in which scenes are stitched together allows novel connections to be made between Tarantino’s films and recurring motifs to be identified, while also celebrating the badass female characters that emerge from what is undoubtedly a hyper-masculine world.

Ultimately, though, what absolutely nails this show to the wall is the mega-watt performances from each and every cast member. If sometimes stage musical vocals can sound a little forced, each of these performers could give most chart-topping music artists a run for their money – and even often outdo the originals they cover. Track after track after track (around 50 in total!) is an absolute belter, and the fact that the songs are sung and instruments played all while the cast are in character, often also racing amongst the rows of seats and dancing, gives the impression of it all being rather casually brilliant. So good is every number, it’s hard to pick standouts. That said, Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) induced goosebumps, the lesser known If Love Is a Red Dress was breathtaking, and the Django-sung Freedom brought unexpected poignancy amidst the caustic dialogue and action mayhem.

The absolute antithesis of a stuffy theatre show, this rock opera is unadulterated entertainment at its best and a must-see for Tarantino aficionados, music lovers and thrill-seekers alike. 

Sarah Bradbury
Photos: Julie Edwards

Tarantino Live: Fox Force Five and the Tyranny of Evil Men is at Riverside Studios from 6^th June until 13^th August 2023. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.