Interview With Samwise Holmes

Dive into the fantastical world of MARVELous The Show, where superheroes and comedy collide! In a conversation with co-creator and director Samwise Holmes, Brendan Daynes got to hear about the inspiration behind this playful parody and how it dares to push boundaries. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at what makes this production a must-see for Marvel fans and comedy lovers alike!

Where did the idea for MARVELous The Show come from, and what inspired you to create a Marvel parody with such a unique and risqué twist?

The first thing I wrote was a lyrical parody of a song from the Captain America movie. In the movie it’s called The Star-Spangled Man With A Plan and the parody ended up being called The Man With America’s Ass, based on a running joke from the last Avengers movie. That’s the idea that sort of began snowballing into other ideas that became a show. I didn’t set out to create a show but it organically became one. So it started off with a a silly concept that could have been a digital content piece and then things sort of started snowballing from there. Ultimately it became an opportunity for me to present the craziest, most sort of insane concepts I could think of, that I wanted to put on stage.

From the world of superheroes to the world of dance and theatre, how did you and your team go about incorporating the physicality of these iconic Marvel characters into the choreography and acrobatic performances?

There’s a quality that goes with the superhero, isn’t there? They’re spectacular. We’ve got a scene that has ballet but it’s not as you expect, we’ve got aerial apparatuses, and the show has such a huge variety. There’s a scene with Dr. Strange, who has been turned into absolutely terrible stage illusionist where every magic trick goes wrong. Then a stunt scene, which also then becomes a risqué scene because the cast are tearing off elements of their outfits to use as weapons against the bad guys. It is a very non-typical way of utilising the components of a scene while turning this music into an action cinematic score. Each idea is quite unique and there’s so many different elements that I think people are not expecting.

‘MARVELous The Show’ blends pop culture references from films like Dirty Dancing and The Greatest Showman with the Marvel Universe. How did you approach these unexpected mashups, and what kind of response have you received from fans of both genres?

There were plenty of audience members who’d never seen anything from Marvel before. The fact that we had we had our magic Mike scene, with Iron Man, that scene has a big crossover of references from Marvel to pop culture. Our Dirty Dancing scene, that parody is both Marvel and Dirty Dancing and is a absolute highlight of the show. Then you’ve obviously got the songs themselves, which are all well-known. So there’s definitely something for everyone. The scenes themselves, if you strip away the Dr. Strange element or the Black Widow element, and present that scene as it is, we are creating a great show first, a Marvel parody second.

You’ve mentioned that MARVELous was in development for five years. What were some of the most rewarding and challenging moments during that process, particularly in blending parody with live performance elements?

When I started writing, it would be a big spreadsheet and a couple of documents of lists of ideas. It wasn’t a show for the first two or three and a half years. It was a collection of ideas that I would continuously go back to and build upon. The moment where you sort of go, “Oh, I think there’s actually a show here!” That’s a really rewarding moment of realising that I’ve created something. The show ends up being absolutely nothing like what that draft would have looked like, but to get to that point in the creative process where you realise, I’ve created enough things that a show exists. This show is not a story. It is a collection of individual scenes sort of looped together by Deadpool, the narrator, telling a dirty bedtime story to the audience. So realising we’ve got enough that would create a show, that in itself was a good moment. Of course, actually opening the show and everybody loving the show is of course the golden moment that everyone hopes for when they create a show.

The scope of building the show was pretty huge. We’re a small entertainment company and so creating something so big was a pretty huge, huge challenge. We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into that process to get it live and on the stage. The biggest challenge was just completing the show from a technical perspective because it’s one thing to be ambitious on the page but then you’ve got to pull it off.

You play the role of Deadpool, a character known for breaking the fourth wall and being irreverent. How do you balance embodying this character’s humour while still engaging the audience in a live theatre setting?

Ultimately it’s such an interactive role and that’s what just makes it fun. We can create these environments that these bits exist in and then it just becomes about playing with the audience.
For our opening run, there were two Deadpools because as the creator, I’m not silly enough  to go through our final rehearsals and tech on stage as well as be in front of the stage. But for the end of Sydney and for the Melbourne season, I am playing Deadpool narrator. The role is fun because I have the ability to improvise and have that fun, that silliness, and I’m able to do the voice. It’s basically great fun to be able to take on this sort of over the top persona.

The show’s stage design, created by award-winning designer Dan Potra, is a standout feature. How important was the collaboration between the design team and the performers to bring the world of MARVELous to life, and what were some of the key elements you wanted to achieve with the set?

Well, Dan Potra, is a magician, first of all. I’d put together a draft of a set concept and I was given advice to seek out a production designer and it was the best advice I could ever be given. You don’t realise how great they are or what they do until you’ve actually worked with a great production designer. What I wanted was a set on stage that had the grandeur of the show. We did a promotional shoot in September 2023 for the show. We shot it in our studio in Sydney and I think we produced a great trailer, but it felt like people would expect a show that was smaller, more risqué, more of a burlesque show and less sort of grand than the show really was. I wanted with the set to really represent how big this show is. When people even see footage of the show then they will get the understanding that we’ve gone all out on creating something that is larger than life and spectacular in its scale and scope.

While MARVELous The Show offers a comedic take on well-known superhero characters, it’s not officially affiliated with Marvel or Disney. How did you approach creating this playful homage while ensuring it stood out as its own unique production?

We’ve got a love for these characters and we take the mickey out of them, but we do it with love. The show is not affiliated with Disney or Marvel but due to their use laws around parody, we are allowed to put on this kind of show in some countries. We create these big comedic parody spectacles utilising the characters and we turn them on their head and twist them into something very unexpected and exciting for the audience. We have a cast of acrobats, stunt performers, aerialists, dancers and they’re spectacular. We’ve got absolute top-notch vocalists within the show as well. Every scene presents a different style of performance.

The combination of a rock-infused soundtrack with dynamic live performances is a unique feature of MARVELous. Can you share your vision behind the music selection and how it enhances the overall energy of the show?

It was to create pop music, but all with a sort of a rock-infused component to it. We do turn the three Spider-Men from the recent film into a boy band, but it takes the boy band songs that people know and turns them into this bigger sort of rock vibe. Flashdance, the sort of rock version of “What a feeling”, encapsulates all of the same feelings and emotions from that song and that film, but in a rock-infused way.

You’re also the director of Backflips Against Bullying, which combines parkour with anti-bullying messages. How has your experience with this initiative influenced your approach to MARVELous, particularly in terms of the physicality and empowerment themes in the production?

So very, very much, they are completely separate things. Backflips Against Bullying spreads an anti-bullying message, something that we’re extremely passionate about. The themes and messages in MARVELous are different, it is about just being outrageous and hilarious, comedy is at the forefront of it. So it’s two different ways of presenting acrobatics and stunts. In one sense, you’re using it purely for outrageous comedy entertainment purposes and in the other sense, with Backflips Against Bullying, we are educating, using the same form of entertainment as a way of capturing attention for an entirely different purpose. So ultimately it’s the same means to generate wildly different results for a completely different separate audiences.

For dancers and performers looking to break into shows that push the boundaries of traditional musical theatre, what advice would you give in terms of developing versatility and adaptability as performers?

I am a huge advocate for creating your own opportunities. Don’t wait for somebody to give you the means. If you’ve got a crazy idea, that’s where it starts. Write down every crazy idea you ever have and find ways to be able to perform that crazy idea, wherever that may be. That’s where it starts. Find the opportunity, wherever it may be, which is something that I did. I had a crazy idea for this musical sequence and the local eisteddfod where I grew up had a extended musical segment. So I put together a massive cast and put on a show. So whether it’s somewhere like that or a talent competition or to the extent of hiring a theatre for a night to put on something crazy, that’s where it’s at, and that’s where it starts. Creating your own opportunities, I stand by that.

Bio – Samwise Holmes

Samwise Holmes is the co-owner and full-time Managing Director of Action Education Pty Ltd and Action Reaction Entertainment Pty Ltd. He leads initiatives like the Backflips Against Bullying programs, which tour schools across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. Samwise also manages ‘The Superhero Experience,’ a stunt and acrobatic performance team, and is deeply involved in developing and performing action and stunt shows, as well as custom interactive theatre experiences.

With a background in music theatre, Samwise has credits as a Musical Director, Director, and Performer. He previously entertained as a piano and vocal artist at restaurants and resorts throughout New South Wales, and he was a primary entertainer at Frightnight Theatre Restaurant in 2013 and 2014. He is also extensively trained in commercial stunt work, having studied at Stunt Gym for three years, and he continues to direct and perform live action and stunt shows under Action Reaction Entertainment.

MARVELous The Show is set to dazzle audiences at the National Theatre in St Kilda from Wednesday, 6 November to Sunday, 10 November and promises to deliver an unforgettable blend of humour and excitement. Following the Melbourne season, the show will play at Adelaide Fringe, before embarking on a national tour, bringing its unique twist on the Marvel universe to audiences across the country.

Don’t miss your chance to experience this captivating production—get your tickets today at marveloustheshow.com.au!