A show based on the 1980s adventure movie theme cannot escape being compared to the decade which gave us Indiana Jones, Romancing the Stone and lesser known greats such as Raw Head Rex, where a big, ugly, nine foot demon kills folks and pees on his servant.

The North London based theatre group Unrestricted View are back at the fringe with their newest outing Umbrage Swain and the Magical Diamond of Ramtutiti.

Umbrage Swain, a swashbuckling adventurer has to help find a treasure with immeasurable powers - that has been lost of course – while avoiding magic curses and trying to shag the female lead.

You have fart jokes, camp acting and women who constantly ask questions and a pantomime style. The plotline is farcical at best and soon descends into an unfathomable mess.

James, who plays Umbrage looks like an Edwardian Eddie Izzard with a bit of cockney charm whose been cast into David Bowie’s Labyrinth while his sidekick Burton Latimer takes the form of the Cure lead singer Robert Smith, and plays the part excellently.

As the show goes on you start looking for more and more film references and, possibly through my own ignorance of the period I find more eclectic parallels such as Wayne’s World or Austin Powers.

There are as many camp jokes and 80s references as possible and a twisted version of the Eurovision song contest.

It is easy to criticise the play though due to its flimsy plotline. The play won't change your life or give an introverted look into the bleakness of the human soul but it is fun.

The magical diamond of Rasputin's* strength is its witty script and a plethora of good one-liners that keep you more than entertained.

Umbrage Swain and the magical diamond of Rumbelows* won’t win any awards at the fringe, but it may win an audience.

Tim Clark

* N.B: correct spelling is Ramtutiti - but we've seen all sorts of spellings floating around - including on the official site. Interestingly enough, the closest google match we've found, Rimtutituki is an anti war protest band from Belgrade. See here.

Umbrage Swain and the magical diamond of Ramtutiti is on at the Underbelly at 19:30 until the 24th August.

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