Samwise Holmes Interview (MARVELous The Show)
We catch-up with Samwise Holmes, co-creator of the MARVELous The Show to talk… well, superheroes, Marvel and of course MARVELous!
Welcome to Impulse Gamer Samwise! So tell us where did your love from Marvel Comics come from?
When I was 9, I took photos of myself in a Spiderman costume perched at the top of our 2 storey roof. I got into acrobatics recreationally because I wanted to be like Spider-Man, which is what led to me eventually training as a professional stunt performer as well. So this genre has always felt like a part of my DNA.
How did you come up with the idea of MARVELous?
I didn’t set out to create a show to begin with. It started with a silly comedy song called The Man with America’s Ass that I wrote one day after Endgame came out with its “that’s America’s ass” gag about Captain America. It was a parody of ‘The Star Spangled Man With a Plan’ song that Captain America and the Showgirls perform in his first movie. What started as “this would be funny to do a live performance of” quickly turned into a show when I started having ideas for other scenes. I remember the second scene concept was our Magic Mike x Iron Man crossover, where a female Tony Stark/Iron Man built suits in their workshop whilst dancing to Pony like Magic Mike in his workshop. The ideas became wilder and wilder from there, and a show started to take form!
Tell us a little about the show and what can we expect?
Ultimately the show was built by cycling through the most recognizable moments across the span of the Marvel film universe and creating wild extravagant concepts for how we could twist it.
The final decisions came down to which ideas of ours had the most layers to it – if we’re going to put something on stage, it has to be nuanced, interesting, and ideally something people haven’t seen before.
Many scenes take a specific moment from the MCU to parody, and others take a character itself and twist their story, such as Doctor Strange the overconfident stage magician, a role that also parodies the Greatest Showman, who’s illusions fail spectacularly every time, played by one of our featured vocalists.
You can expect a broad array of exceptional talent on display, wrapped in comedy, wrapped in parody all delivered with a risque edge.
Deadpool! What do you love about Deadpool?
Within MARVELous, Deadpool is a sort of narrator of the show, guiding the audience through their inappropriate bedtime story – and he’s the perfect character to channel this through.
Playing Deadpool myself with the ability to interact and have fun with the audience is a thrill every show, and by being generally separate from the main scenes of the show, I also get the pleasure of experiencing this phenomenal cast perform the pieces I’ve created, and witness the audience responding to them, without the pressure of performing it!
What’s your favourite act and why?
Or our Black Widow scene that turns from a ballet into a stunt fight scene, underscored by an unexpectedly epic music crossover between cinematic action and classical music, as the ballet continues in conjunction with the fight on stage as well. But throw in another layer; we subvert the idea of a striptease by having our badass lead character tear off pieces of her outfit to use as weapons against the assailants.
Most dangerous?
There isn’t a most dangerous act per se, but I would say the most dangerous aspect of the show is the spectacular aerial acts integrated throughout – crazy contortions and dancing high above the stage are definitely a sight to behold from the skilled cast.
What does the House of Mouse think of MARVELous?
I doubt they think very much of it! Thankfully, fair use parody laws allow shows like ours to exist.
Biggest challenge in bringing MARVELous to stage?
Being a small production company, to put on an ambitiously large show like this was a massive challenge. We have a fantastic team, who really went above and beyond to build this huge show. The final weeks leading up to Sydney were insane – long nights, building all of the final sets, altering costumes, and getting a huge technical show on its feet for the first time.
And most rewarding aspect?
The biggest highlight was how well the show was received on Opening Night. You put so much blood, sweat, and tears into a production like this, and you’re at the whim of the critics and the audience to know if it’s all been worth it. Relief washes over you when you hear the laughs and cheers during the show, and to read at the end of the night that people genuinely loved the show – there’s no other feeling like it.
What about funniest rehearsal story?
The first time our Thor performer came out in the full prosthetic belly, and performed his absolutely hilarious routine, including plenty of improvisation, was a highlight for the cast! We have some truly ridiculous settings and costumes, and while it sounds funny on the page, it’s a whole different experience to see it in front of you – like a whole cast of secret agents in full body hazmat suits that start super serious and then suddenly start grinding on the set trying to be sexy.
Biggest wardrobe malfunction?
Thankfully we haven’t had any of those because our Wardrobe team, led by Laura Cagnacci, are f*cking awesome!
Lastly tell us about Backflips against Bullying and how can we support this cause?
Backflips Against Bullying is a program that we’re extremely passionate about, that is currently the largest school anti-bullying performance that tours each year. Our acrobats use their amazing skills to build respect and rapport with the students, and it allows us to bring some big show energy to school halls to spread a great message. The best way to support the cause is to tell your kids’ school about the program – or if you’re a company you can even look at sponsorships!
For more information on MARVELous the Show, please visit https://feverup.com/m/250318
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