By Jessica Taurins
MARVELous The Show is sexy, sultry, silly fun for anyone looking to have a good time. The concept of a superhero strip show x comedy show is something that’s existed for some time in smaller venues, but MARVELous takes the concept and absolutely runs away with it, blending strip tease with circus with modern dance, and succeeding at (almost) all of it.
For those with even a passing interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all of the references in MARVELous will be a real delight. The scenes are narrated by Deadpool (as expected, although he does get a little moment of his own that I won’t spoil here!!) and span many, many years of the MCU, as well as slipping into a little musical theatre and film as well. A green character and their sibling defy gravity, an overweight god (flash)dances to What a Feeling – there is truly just so much to enjoy for people of all ages (as long as they’re over 15).
My personal favourite moment? The twist on the Captain America: The Winter Soldier fight scene… truly a delicious (and comedic!) moment between the Star-Spangled Man and his long-lost bestie. Michael Boyle truly has America’s Ass, and he shows it off PROUDLY, while Jacob McPherson’s awkward-yet-angry Bucky contrasts wonderfully with Boyle’s fully earned confidence.
Of note in this scene is the duo’s incredible strength, blending classic strip tease elements (with shields instead of feather fans, if you catch my drift) with dance lifts and circus-level strength poses. In another scene, Thomas Remaili’s godly flying pole routine left the audience simultaneously giddy and awestruck at his strength and poise.
I will say, though I have my favourite, all of the scenes are deserving of praise. MARVELous successfully treads the fine line between clever references and nostalgia bait by changing things up (of course, none of these well-known characters have their ‘arc reactors’ out in the films, if you catch my drift) and bringing a real levity to some typically serious scenes. One scene (also Winter Soldier related… can you see who my favourite character is?) so gloriously disrespected the source material that I damn near cried with laughter.
The music design is also to be commended – the blend between Tony Stark hammering away at his suit and Pony slowly starting to play in the background was a surprising success, and a moment later in the show where the Scarlet Witch meets the Avengers blends their songs from previous scenes throughout her own theme. It is disappointing that the National Theatre isn’t the best location for sound clarity, sitting at the front of the theatre meant being blasted by the speakers, whereas audience members towards the back were hearing all bass (no treble) for the first act… but also not much of anything else, either.
Unfortunately, MARVELous was a little let down by technical failures and wardrobe malfunctions. The set and all its set pieces are moved by hand, which led to a few awkward moments with stuck caster wheels and moments of uncomfortable silence. One of the high-flying acrobatics acts in the final showcase was called off for an unknown reason – though as this was likely safety-related, I’m loath to be fully critical of the decision.
In addition to the set, there were other moments where the show dragged along into awkward territory. Deadpool’s mic failed during one of the greatest musical homages of the performance, but once they were delivered a handheld mic they pulled off the rest of the song with typical improvised flair.
The superhero costumes, while remarkably screen-accurate, were often belted and buckled instead of being your typical strip show tearaway Velcro. This often left some actors needing help to drag the last fragments of clothing off, or simply dragging their half-pants through a fight scene.
Although, once some of the gorgeous performers did get their tearaway outfits off… well, it was easy to ignore those few awkward moments when the lingerie and abs were on display.
Even with some missteps, MARVELous hit the mark in every other way. MARVELous is the best choice for any night out – girl’s night, boy’s night, queen’s night, um… perhaps not night out with your work colleagues unless you’re really good friends – and will almost certainly be all you can think about for multiple days after.
Speaking of things I can’t stop thinking about… thank you dearly to Andrew Waldin, who improved my opinion of Doctor Strange by approximately 1,000% in the scene where he was in full costume, cloak, boots, tunic and all, except for his bright red budgie smugglers. I’m going to think fondly of that moment every time I see Strange in a movie now. I truly, genuinely appreciate it.
Images: Ben Dingley
