Review: BLACK SUPERHERO, Royal Court Theatre

A sleek subversion of superhero shlock or a stage version of a Marvel movie sans the CGI? The honest answer is neither. Olivier-nominated actor Danny Lee Wynter's BLACK SUPERHERO (stylised IN CAPITALS) methodically peels back the layers of the concept of the superhero layer by layer. Underneath lies a knotted tangle of insecurities, sexual anguish, relationship issues, and childhood trauma. He can't quite untangle them all, but his efforts deserve applause.

Lee Wynter writes and stars as protagonist David, a mixed-race gay man rapidly approaching middle age. A relationship with King, an actor famed for his role as a superhero self-consciously reminiscent of Black Panther, complete with a signature gesture, lets David project his insecurities onto both the actor and the superhero persona, the line between which becomes increasingly blurred.

To appropriate a line from Tennessee Williams, David doesn't want realism, he wants magic. Designer Joanna Scotcher's futuristic set evokes the thrilling ambiance of a superhero lair effortlessly placing David in his comic book fantasy world.

The dice are loaded from the start. King is in an "open marriage", an incredulous excuse to sneak behind his cloyingly pretentious husband Stevie. David dives deeper into the psychological looking glass. Eventually joining King in his shallow world of showbiz, a drowning narcotic haze of obnoxiousness and sexual voracity, David soon discovers that the warmth of the fantasy that once sustained him has dissipated into icy loneliness. Ensuing emotional turbulence leaves him psychologically and physically naked, in a gut-wrenching sexual encounter with a Hollywood producer.

Lee Wynter sets himself up well with unflinching curiosity and sizzling one liners, even if the script is a little too keen to garnish itself with pop culture references. Despite the writing's strong emotional nexus, it suffers thematically having to share the stage with one too many inconspicuous soap box moments.

It's almost as if the production pauses for the #politicalmessage. Sure, questions about authenticity and appropriation in the arts are both interesting and relevant (I'm sure some of the press night audience were hot under the collar) but the polemics feel inorganically tacked on, pulling the tone in a different direction, and ultimately preventing the production from gathering the dramatic momentum it needs.

If more focus were dedicated to untangling the play's core the take home message might be fine-tuned. Does Lee Wynter really want to pin all sexual suffering on an inability to process childhood abuse? It seems almost parodical to seriously equate the concept of the superhero to the father figure, more armchair psychoanalysis from a skim reading of The Interpretation of Dreams than actual psychological inquiry. In any case, without conceptual weight backing it up it does not deliver the knockout punch that it seeks.

Despite its flaws, Daniel Evans' crisp direction keeps the tone buoyant balancing the comedic elements with serious intrigue. Lee Wynter's central performance is endearingly charming, effortlessly whipping up poignant rapport with Rochenda Sandall's Syd, David's fiery tongued sister, and Eloka Ivo's nonchalantly scene-stealing Raheem.

BLACK SUPERHERO plays at the Royal Court until 29 April

Photo Credit: Johan Persson

To post a comment, you must register and login.