In the very first scene, Captain Amazing looks more like someone on drugs than a superhero. But in fact that’s precisely the point of the play, where the contrast between ambition and bravery on the one hand, and failure and frailty on the other is a central. The play starts off by following two separate storylines, or so it seems at least. Mark is an ordinary man, busy with his life in the shop and his relationship with his girlfriend. On the other hand, Captain Amazing is the classic ‘caped’ superhero, whose mission is to combat crime and fight against Evil Man. Things start to merge when Mark becomes a dad: it appears clear that for his daughter Emily he is a superhero, while for the rest of the world (his boss and his wife included), he is a bit of a failure. And even on the ‘other side’ of his life, we are shown that not even superheroes are immune to everyday problems; regardless of whether they are buying new headquarters or dealing with boring friends (such as the hilarious exchange with Batman). In the end, a conflation between the two roles occurs, showing that life is no fiction and is difficult for all of us, and real heroism lies in facing the challenges of every day with the means we have. As Mark says, everyone has to realise that their dad is not a superhero, but “that doesn’t mean he won’t be there” when we need him, in spite of all his imperfections as an ordinary human being.
The message behind the play is thus a powerful one, and we are also presented with real life issues such as divorce, firing, and illness. With some scenes more successful (and clear) than others, and with more or less rhetoric in dealing with thorny issues, the play also develops the idea of playing multiple roles in one’s life. Mark is at once sale-assistant, boyfriend, and dad. But since the play is a monologue, the actor is also girlfriend and daughter, baddy and boss. The play thus draws our attention on the fact that Mark and Captain Amazing are one and two at the same time. We are never sure whether they are the same person, because the actor plays a whole series of other characters – all of them in fact. This play is the right one with which to experiment with a monologue technique, as this allows exploring the notion of identity in a sophisticated way.
Moreover, the acting supports this choice. Andrew Dickinson proves incredibly talented, and able to credibly play three people at the same time. It takes a couple of scenes for the play to really get going, but once it does, we almost forget there’s only one actor on stage. Whether he is playing Evil Man, Batman, the wife, the curious Emily, the sick Emily, Captain Amazing, Dickinson is an amazing actor. The stage set is also appropriate. It is deliberately and unpretentiously simple: one chair, and a series of child-like projected drawings. The minimalism of cast and set does not prevent the play from working; rather, it gets the performance really take off, or rather fly – and it also teaches us to do so.
Captain Amazing runs at the BT until Saturday at 21.30.
