The greatest, stupidest superhero the world has ever known is coming to the stage; Bananaman: The Musical is set to go into production.
Yes, Bananaman. No, this isn't a joke (as far as we know). The stage show will be based on the classic British comedic hero, who first appeared in The Beano publisher D.C. Thomson's comic Nutty in 1980. Created by writers Steve Bright and Dave Donaldson with artist John Geering, the character shifted to The Dandy after Nutty was cancelled in 1985, and eventually, in 2012, to The Beano itself.
In case you need reminding, the strip followed Eric Wimp of 29 Acacia Road. A schoolboy who leads an amazing double life, when Eric eats a banana, an amazing transformation occurs -- Eric is Bananaman, ever alert for the call to action! At least, so goes the intro to the brilliant animated series that ran from 1983-1986 (full episodes can be seen on the Bananaman YouTube channel).
As reported by WhatsOnStage, Bananaman: The Musical will be written and composed by Leon Parris, previously responsible for Wolfboy and Monte Cristo, and directed by Fred Perry, who helmed the "panto for grown-ups" Cinderella: Boom or Bust!. The production will have choreography from Saturday Night Fever's Grant Murphy.
Bananaman serves as a pastiche of conventional superheroes -- his powers include flight, invulnerability, and "the muscles of twenty men, and the brains of twenty mussels" -- as filtered through a lens of dry, daft British humour. He's ace, and the balance of comedy and action will hopefully transition well to the theatre.
Sadly, a premiere date or casting is yet unknown -- although we would expect two separate actors to fill the dual role of Eric and Bananaman, thanks to his Captain Marvel-esque transformation. Further details on the musical will be announced on 2 February though, at an industry launch with -- what else? -- banana-based cocktails.
Taking to the stage might not be all that the future has in store for the nation's favourite superhero -- D.C. Thomson also has a website for *Bananaman: The Movie,*complete with the brilliant tagline "Peel the Power". The site has been live since at least 2014 though, with the film's status unknown. http://bananamanmovie.com/
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
