REVIEW: Saints and Superheroes
- Posted on March 23, 2007 9:40 AM
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Review by Laura Yates
There is definitely something quite ‘kitsch’ about The Battersea Arts Centre and I always look forward to productions I have seen at this venue, not only because of the quality of the theatre but also the general buzzy atmosphere and vibe that is always present.
When walking into Studio 2 in preparation to watch Flywheel Productions ‘Saints and Superheroes’ I couldn’t help but feel slightly claustrophobic. This was obviously going to be a piece of theatre in which the actors wanted to share a sense of intimacy with the audience. I couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous!
Flywheel comprises of two actors, who in ‘Saints and Superheroes’, present a hilarious collaboration of the supernatural and surreal. Brother Stephen and Brother Dominic are two monks who reside in a lonely lighthouse in Cornwall (I found that quite humorous in itself!) Dominic is a compulsive liar and Stephen a ‘merry friar’ who is not quite yet convinced or sure of the practice a Catholic should conform to. The two monks follow daily routines which include God stealing their toast and hot chocolate!
The two actors (Ed Gaughan and Andrew Buckley) work fantastically well together as the comic duo, complimenting each other in terms of their contrasting personalities, physicality and views on religion. Just watching them on stage together is funny, even without any dialogue! The play opens with Brother Dominic giving us a lecture and guided tour of the lighthouse, this then evolves into a particularly intimate ‘tour’ of the two monks’ lives. The choice is completely up to the audience member as to whether you believe any of these accounts!
Over the course of the evening we learn that Brother Stephen was sent in search of Brother Dominic by a vision of Saint Peter. The enactment of this was my absolute favourite part of the play. Who would have thought that Saint Peter was a normal ‘bloke’ from Manchester who appeared before Stephen whilst he was a doorman for a club, ‘The Hacienda’? Dominic, we learn very quickly is fond of pretending. I found the use of Al Pacino dialogue in general conversation not only very funny but creatively extremely skilful. He is a sensitive and frustrated character and ultimately a fantasist. Pretending is something which is explored throughout the play. Despite there only been two actors in this show, we are introduced to a variety of bizarre characters including Joan of Arc, a New York wife (Dominic’s mother) and a blind crocodile who speaks in the style of Al Pacino. Confused? I have to admit I was! I was particularly impressed I was by actor Ed Gaughan who transformed from the vulnerable, embittered Irish monk into these weird and wonderful characters with a wide range of accents, mannerisms and personas. All were utterly hilarious but also left the audience with a feeling of empathy as we finally gained a true insight into Dominic’s traumatic childhood. The character Dominic and his love of pretending I also felt was quite poignant – he had an overwhelming childlike quality about him and portrayed this fantastically throughout the course of the play.
Reading this, you may be slightly confused as to the actual plot of the production. This is firstly because I am still trying to decipher it myself and secondly, I don’t believe it is the important factor and what is at the heart of the play. It is full of fascinating digressions, which mostly describe Dominic’s odd personality, and behavioural traits, which ultimately lead to a message at the end. This takes us to the comparison of Saints and Superheroes. Brother Stephen recounts a parable describing the power you possess when somebody else’s faiths is in your hands. Throughout the play we saw ‘God’ stealing hot chocolate, pictures of alcoholic Superheroes in a pub and ultimately, how Brother Dominic was able to use Brother Stephens devotion to uncover his childhood trauma.
The use of props, lighting and music combined with the fantastic performances of the two actors collectively make this a must see production. Admittedly I was slightly confused in regards to the plot but nevertheless, I believe this was perhaps the intention and the conclusion made complete sense. Forms of media such as film and comics have provided us with a more entertaining version of religion for a significant amount of time now and the two are more strongly linked that we are aware. Utterly hilarious, fantastic acting and a touching finish….what more can I say!
Saints and Superheroes runs from 20th March - 5th April 2007
For all BAC listings, head to their official site
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