SUPERFAN are touring Scotland this Autumn with their new production of Stuntman, an explosive physical performance by two men exploring the relationships between violence and masculinity through stunts and satire.
Taking inspiration from classic and contemporary action movies such as Die Hard and John Wick to create high-octane and sometimes ridiculous fight scenes, Stuntman examines the impact that having action-hero role models has on men and boys.
He says they made my hands into bombs.
I’m waiting for him to say ‘you don’t have to do this, it’s ok. You don’t have to do this.’
Instead he says, ‘Jump on the spot. You’re shaking. We can’t let them see that you’re shaking.’
A striking, film set-inspired design by Rachel O’Neill, with sound by Richy Carey and lights from Michaella Fee, will immerse the audience in the excitement of the heightened, cartoonish fights and draw us into the performers’ personal stories of their experience with violence and aggression. With hard-hitting and entertaining theatrics, performers David Banks and Sadiq Ali introduce an up-close and personal look into their lives in an intensely physical, funny, and tender duet from men who wrestle with their relationship to violence – both onscreen and off.
Set in traverse, the audience are front and centre of the action; an intimate yet explosive duo performance juxtaposes the anger, rage, and hype that men can feel on the brink of a fight with the calm softness and tenderness of not wishing to be violent. Exploring both the heightened expectations and gentleness in human nature and masculinity, Stuntman provides the grey area and internal battle presented.
Adrenalin, tension and laugh-out-loud moments allows the audience to consider the themes of this work while watching an entertaining piece of highly physical theatre, taking away some food for thought around their relationship to violence in the media and how it influences our lives. Fusing the Pow! Biff! and Wallop! of over-the-top stunt fights with personal stories of real encounters with violence from the performers’ lives, Stuntman is for anyone who has ever enjoyed a violent action movie (but maybe felt a bit weird about it).
Director Pete Lannon says, I’m really excited for audiences to see this new version of the show, after our 2020 tour being cancelled. The themes at the heart of it, of the complicated and painful relationships men have with violence, feel like they’ve only become more relevant in the last couple of years. I hope that we can invite people to think about it from a slightly different perspective, and also have some fun – there’s a lot of joyful silliness in the show too.
