Yippee Ki Yay | Birmingham Rep

This week Yippee Ki Yay kicks off its latest tour, returning to the Birmingham Rep after its sell out run just a few years previous. The Lockdown baby of writer and actor Richard Marsh, the show has made a grand debut in the past years, spreading the joy of Die Hard on both sides of the Atlantic, and this year settling back into its roots at the Rep before moving on to the South West. 

The premise of the show can only really be described as a love letter and thank you note to Marsh’s favourite things - the 80s classic film Die Hard, and his wife. Interspersed within a comic retelling of the film, complete with committed reenactment and props, Marsh tells the story of how his all-time favourite film built, almost destroyed, then reinvented his marriage. Ultimately, it is a show describing what passion and the things we love wholeheartedly can do for our lives, how the bonds we make become intertwined with and change things we know, and a pure love of cinema. 

The play opens with an introduction to the protagonist of the film John McClane, before we begin jumping from the reality of how Marsh met his future wife through Die Hard discussion pages, their marriage, and how the very thing that brought them together was a symbol of things falling apart, to the fictional world of the NYPD Detective reluctantly fighting bad guys with poor accents to win back his disgruntled ex-wife. 

Marsh himself performs the show alone, but despite watching just one man tell a story featuring a dozen characters switching between reality and fiction, Marsh blasts through the laugh-a-minute script with effortless stage presence, using the magic of theatre to keep us invested in his parody. No rhyme or witty quip falls flat throughout the show, even if at a few moments the change in tone can break the flow of the story telling - it’s hard to mind when you’re in the midst of his world. Marsh also acts as the solo barrier between reality and fiction, and we are in safe hands as he carries us across these borders with no lack of clarity and understanding of shifts. 

What really stands out about the performance is the evident love for the show and retelling we’re watching on stage - from the energy and commitment given to the performance to the meticulous detail within the script showing obvious knowledge of Die Hard, Marsh’s creation acts as a joyful contagion of his enthusiasm, something that might seem simple or unimportant to some becomes the most important thing in the world to the man in front of us and it makes us care enough about it whether you’re a fellow fanatic or have never even heard the name Hans Gruber to stick with him. 

An honourable mention must also be given to lighting designer Robbie Butler, whose stark lighting creates the performance space that contains the drama as it unfolds, sets a boldly contrasting tone to that of the script, giving a sense of drama that only heightens the comedy. A highlight in the show was the effects used during high energy physical re-enactments of action sequences.

Ultimately, Yippee Ki Yay provides a lighthearted summary of one man’s intense passion for the classic 80s film that shaped his life, and now consequently career, bringing smiles, laughter and cheers throughout. With a passionate high-energy, attention grabbing performance from Marsh, it’s a show that speaks equally to fellow Die Hard enthusiasts and those who have their introduction to the film at the show alike. 

Yippee Ki Yay begins its tour at the Birmingham Rep before travelling through the South of the UK throughout October. 

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Rod Penn