‘MARVELous: A Risqué Parody’ pokes fun at a universe
Image: Image supplied.
Taking one of the largest comic and film franchises in the world and playing it for laughs is no small matter, but that is what Sydney theatre practitioner Samwise Holmes has done to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Coming to a season at the Concourse Chatswood in July and August Holmes has taken the characters of Captain Marvel, Thor, Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man and more, mixed them up with a hard-hitting rock soundtrack, daredevil acrobatics, transforming sets and put them all together on the stage for a gut-wrenching parody that will have audiences in stitches.
“Of course we have the main characters and it is set in the Marvel Universe and it is a parody show taking the mickey out of all these characters,” Samwise Holmes, managing director, Action Reaction Entertainment said.
“From a place of love, of course. It’s a little of everything mashed together to create something extraordinary.”
How Holmes has been able to do this show without copyright infringement is due to a oft-used clause in the copyright act where a parody is found to be fair use when it is a humorous form of social commentary.
“It is done as a parody to be able to get around the copyright laws,” Holmes said.
Being a show about an entire universe it is only fitting that it should have a long development for the Sydney-based production company Action Reaction, who usually deal with corporate events, team building and stunt training.
“This is the first production on this scale that we have mounted as a production company,” Holmes said.
“This is a big step for myself and Cynthia, who is my partner and business partner.
Writing the show started in 2019, and Holmes, like so many in the arts community, had to navigate the interruption of the Covid period.
“It has been five years in the making and (it) has taken all of our experiences from many different areas of the artisan performance, and putting them all in one show,” Holmes said.
“All of our performers are aerialists and acrobats and they are incredible at what they do as the show is highly physical.”
Holmes is also looking forward taking the show from its rehearsal space to the stage at Concourse Chatswood.
“We will fill the stage with this massive moving scaffold which transforms into the different sets for the show,” Holmes said.
“The nine metre pieces of scaffolding that swings out are almost the storybook for the show.”
Holmes will also be in front of the audience as he plays the narrator whose character is Deadpool in the show.
“I have not seen so much insanity on a stage as we out on, and people are going to be surprised by this,” Holmes said.
MARVELous -a Risque Parody is also set to tour Queensland.
MARVELous: A Risqué Parody
26 July – 10 August, The Concourse Chatswood
https://www.theconcourse.com.au/event/marvelous-a-risque-parody/
You May Also Like
