Captain Amazing

Within the current trend in theatre for one actor plays would a revival of Alistair McDowall’s Captain Amazing stand the test of time and measure up. The answer is a full-throated yes!
In the cosy environment of the ‘Little’ stage this piece is as powerful now as it would have been in 2013. This tale of an unsure, unremarkable B&Q worker who finds the courage to be a dad to his daughter Emily, by creating the persona of Captain Amazing, is both hilarious and heart wrenching.

Alistair McDowall’s script is superbly tight and economic and allows the actor to add his perfectly pitched emotions to the piece. It feels so real yet so fantastical at the same time.

Mark Weinman as the performer has been a part of the entire development of this play and is shows. His performance is mesmerising. He switches characters and their mannerisms with a surety and a level of subtlety that is perfect. He can have the audiences in stitches one minute then silent and teary eyed the next. His switch to superhero mode is dramatic and tragic in its own comic book way, but it is when he holds difficult conversations with his daughter Emily where his talent really excels. How he must overcome his personal insecurities to assure his daughter over divorce and then her illness is so beautifully told that you genuinely see the child.

His performance is cleverly supported with creative splattering of key words and phrases that are written in light, creating as ‘living graffiti’ that grows as the story grows. These projections, together with the lighting by Will Monks and the white patchwork paper set by Georgia de Grey provide the perfect backdrop.

Clive Judd’s direction is as one with the writing and the performer and has the perfect blend of still and frantic moments that the story requires.

This is theatre at it’s very best. Beautifully crafted and resonates for days after.

Five Stars.