The presence of superhero themed entertainment, especially
movies, has been all pervading in recent years as Hollywood unveils, reboots,
and rehashes multi-billion dollar franchises with increasing fervour. These
stories are far more sophisticated than I recall in my childhood - I am from
the generation of comic books which have now been superseded by the far more ‘respectable’
(and thematically dense and generally darker) graphic novel. It’s interesting then
to see what impact this has had on a generation immersed in tales of (mostly) good
versus (mainly) evil where a dizzying array of filmmaking talent and special
effect wizardry makes the most outrageous of superhero powers possible.
Fascinatingly, one answer to that question is an original
superhero comedy musical, written and directed by graduating Murdoch University
student, Scott McArdle. Even more so when it becomes very clear that this is,
in fact, an anti-superhero comedy musical. To say that McArdle’s last student
production is ambitious would be an understatement of heroic proportions – a
two hour and fifteen minute running time, a twenty-one strong cast, an equally
large production team, a nine piece band, all original songs and a thematically
cohesive Book that dissects superhero mythology with laser-like precision.
The story in short, a barista called Polly decides to take a
stand against the protector of Destiny City, the invincible Captain
Astonishing, whose battles with The Destroyer claim innocent lives and
disempower the local citizenry. Polly enlists the support of a couple of comic
book geeks, a scientist, and an ex-cop, and holds a public protest to
disastrous results while dodging the attention of secret agents and falling
masonry from rooftop battles atop skyscrapers. Captain Astonishing has problems
of his own, mainly of the slowly going out of his mind variety and indeed ends
up living long enough to become the villain.
McArdle is steeped in superhero lore and there are plenty of
in-jokes and references throughout as well as all the tropes and twists one
would expect in such a tale – secret underground laboratories, shadowy
government organisations, an indestructible superhero with an equally powerful
nemesis, secret identities, and a climactic final confrontation. But unlike Man
of Steel (nicely bitch slapped) the city still stands at the end as ordinary
citizens regain a sense of purpose with the removal of a god-like figure to
protect them. The most telling line is tagged with the “with great power comes
great responsibility…” – “… and with no power comes choice.” While crime rates
are at an all-time low and coffee remains readily accessible, the people of
Destiny City are an unhappy lot, powerless in the face of the titanic struggle
supposedly being waged on their behalf. Purpose, choice and destiny are within
their grasp if only they would seize the opportunity and stand up to
Astonishing. Polly is the catalyst for this revolution as the superhero becomes
the enemy and ordinary people battle the extraordinary… with a little help from
the wonders of science.
Shannon Rogers is excellent as Polly and gives a nicely
grounded performance as the mayhem swirls around her. Rogers has a pleasant
singing voice but it’s the acting chops here that are crucial as she essentially
plays the moral anchor to the story even when things don’t go according to plan
and Polly’s own secrets are revealed. She also has a deft touch with the
physical comedy elements and occasional droll one liner. A demanding lead role
that sees her battered from pillar to skyscraper rooftop with the bruises to
prove it.
James Hynson gives an engaging performance as the ‘Einstein’
of Polly’s mock-resistance group and his character plays a pivotal role in
coming up with the Plan B that saves the city. Rogers and Hynson work well
together and, again, he gets moments of comedy but also imbues the scientist a
strong moral conscience that gives Polly an additional nudge when required.
Second Chance Theatre regular, Emily David plays the fired
cop, Stacy, with snarling intensity and has a little Ethel Merman going on with
her singing which was a nice counterpoint to the other vocal talent. Then there
are two pairs of comic foils – the superhero loving nerds Kirby and Frankie
(Justin Crossley and Sophie Braham) who are all geek enthusiasm though clearly (and
amusingly) delineated between different fandoms. Crossley has a nice dramatic
moment when Kirby takes Polly and Stanley to task over discussing – spoiler
alert – Frankie’s death as an abstraction whereas he actually knew her as a
real person. The other pairing is secret agents Philson and Rodgers (Andrew
Dawson and Launce Ronzan) who come from the Keystone Cops school of homeland
security and are very good with a series of hijinks and pratfalls as they eventually
bumble their way to the city’s defence. In smaller roles, Joel Sammels made the
role of Polly’s Boss memorable, as did Rachel Doulton with the insistent
Landlord.
This leaves one key character - Captain Astonishing himself.
He makes an appearance at the end of the First Act though, of course, he’s been
right under our noses the whole time. Played with relish by Sven Ironside with
a jawline to die for and a costume maybe not to, he adds a real sense of
unpredictability and energy. This is totally in keeping with the character’s
mental disintegration and in service of the plot but it was more than that.
Ironside’s first big number where he proclaims he will do things “my way” had
the sort of energy and attack that the earlier songs lacked. That’s not to say
they weren’t good but I had a sense that the musical performances were almost
too careful and a little safe. Here, Ironside throws himself at the number and
it elevates the material. The same could be said of the fine set piece
extolling the virtues of science that had some Chicago-style pizazz and was
playfully handled by the ensemble.
The piano driven score was good and the band played very
well. There was an overall lack of songs for my musical taste with long
stretches between numbers at times but those we had were well crafted. The set
and lighting design was impressive and set transitions handled swiftly and
economically. The show hit its straps in the Second Act and the climax was well
handled.
This really was an impressive production on so many levels –
the sheer audacity and scope alone is to be applauded but the writing here is
well balanced between comedy and darker, more dramatic moments and is
thematically compelling as a reaction to the adoration the world of superheroes
and their exploits usually receive. My only question mark is that the nominal
nemesis, The Destroyer, is only ever referred to in dialogue other than represented
as a drawing on the café scrim. I never had a real sense that he was a worthy
adversary to Astonishing. The songs are good though I think, for a two hour
plus running time, there needed to be more of them and with a greater sense of
verve in presentation. The ensemble work well and there are amusing walk-on
parts and activity happening all the time as we see glimpses into the lives of
Destiny City’s citizens.
Written and Directed by Scott McArdle, Music by Nick Choo, Lyrics by McArdle and Choo, with Musical Direction by Glenn Tippett, Extra Ordinary People is a fine way for Second Chance Theatre to end their stint as a student-based theatre company and to cap off a big 2014. I am eager to see what McArdle and his creative collaborators come up with in the New Year.
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