Laurence Pears - Hold On To Your Butts Interview

65 million years ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth…

30 years ago, a movie about dinosaurs ruled the box office…

Hold On To Your Butts is a must see “shot-for-shot” parody of the greatest dinosaur film of all time. After selling out in New York and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this wildly inventive tour-de-force of comedy, Foley sound and physical theatre is transferring to London’s Arcola Theatre for a strictly limited festive run ahead of a UK tour which opens at Curve in Leicester on February 7th 2025.

Laurence Pears in rehearsals. Photo by Mark Senior

We sat down with cast member Laurence Pears to learn more about the show.

What can you tell us about Hold On To Your Butts?
It’s a non-stop, shot-for-shot parody of Spielberg's classic Jurassic Park. It’s a ton of fun to be in and to watch—I’ve done both!
 
What first attracted you to this project?
I really love the film, as do so many! While auditioning for the show, I bumped into Jack Baldwin, who I’d worked with before. We joked about how much fun it would be to do the show together. Lo and behold, we both got cast! Christmas came early!

Charlie Ives, Laurence Pears and Jack Baldwin. Photo by Mark Senior 

What are the biggest challenges you've faced in bringing the show to life?
Keeping a straight face during the iconic “Shoooot her!” scene. And then there’s the physical comedy—who knew pretending to be a velociraptor would require so much cardio?
 
Did you delve back into the Jurassic Park movies or book to aid you in finding the characters?
Oh, absolutely! We had a cast showing of Jurassic Park on Thanksgiving, and who wouldn’t want to overanalyze Goldblum’s every uhhh and ahhh until it becomes performance art?
 
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a performance when multi-roling?
Honestly, I warm up at home physically for about 30 minutes, so I’m ready when I get to the theatre. Mentally, I just remind myself it’s only an hour and it’s going to be a lot of fun.
 
How do you stop yourselves from corpsing during a performance?
I thought for a long time that I was good at not corpsing, but it turns out I’m terrible at it. To answer your question—I have no defenses! I just try to move past it as fast as possible.
 
Where did your arts career begin?
I played the wall at school in  A Midsummer Night’s Dream and made people laugh. After that, I caught the bug.
 
How has the knowledge you've learned so far in your career helped in bringing your characters to life in Hold On To Your Butts?
Commit to the bit. Whether I’m embodying a pompous park owner or a bloodthirsty raptor, I’ve learned that full commitment makes even the silliest moments resonate.
 
What keeps you inspired?
The audience. If they’ve had a good time, then I’ve done my job.

Laurence Pears and Charlie Richards in rehearsals. Photo by Mark Senior

What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing the show?
I hope they leave with sore cheeks from laughing and a renewed appreciation for the ridiculousness of life. But more than that, I hope they walk out humming the Jurassic Park theme song and muttering, “Life, uh, finds a way,” with a smile on their face. Because if Hold On To Your Butts has taught us anything, it’s that comedy—and dinosaurs—never go extinct.

Hold On To Your Butts plays at Arcola Theatre in London from 10th December 2024 until 11th January 2025. Tickets are available from https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/hold-on-to-your-butts/

The show heads out on tour in 2025 where it’ll visit Curve in Leicester, Lowry Theatre in Salford, Norden Farm in Maidenhead, Macready Theatre in Rugby, Swan Theatre in Worcester, Bolton Octagon, Birmingham Rep Theatre, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Norwich Playhouse, The Dukes in Lancaster and Hull Truck Theatre. You can find your dates and booking information here https://holdontoyourbutts.com/