I have been a fan of Star Wars since the first clips featured on Clapperboard and Screen Test, so it’s not really surprising that I am quite looking forward to being able to watch The Last Jedi in the next few days as I was so impressed with The Force Awakens when I saw it at the cinema.
However, there is another premiere this week that I am not going to get to see and I feel that I am going to be the poorer for not seeing it. And just as Star Wars has its roots in the comic Flash Gordon, this premiere is even more obvious in its’ comic origins. To make matters worse for me, this is a theatre musical and anyone that knows me will be able to attest to my love of musicals.
This is not the first time that a comic character has been adapted for the stage as we can look at the 1987 run of The Ballad of Halo Jones, the recent tour of The Broons, The Addams Family and Jackie: The Musical, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown or Moby Dick: The Musical. I am sure that I have missed loads but you get the picture.
In case you are still wondering about the premiere that I am on about, here are a few clues. This is a costumed hero that debuted in D C Thomson’s comic Nutty in 1980 and was drawn not only by Steve Bright, currently the political cartoonist for the Sun, but also by the amazingly talented John Geering until John passed away in 1999 and then a gaggle of equally talented artists took on the mantle of keeping this denizen of 23 Acacia Avenue illustrated (Don’t worry guys, you can pay me in the New Year for that reference!) in fact you could say that the time is ripe to figure out who this is.
For those that have not seen this image before, it is by the awesomely talented Hal Laren. The link is to his current kickstarter.
Once Nutty met the Great News for all Readers, the Potassium Putz then featured in the Dandy and the Beano. He even managed to get his own TV show in the mid 1980s voiced by The Goodies! And in case you have still not guessed who I am on about, I am talking about Eric Wimp who on eating a banana transforms himself into Bananaman and the Bananaman musical premiere is at Southwark Playhouse on 15th December 2017.
When I first found out, I was howling with laughter that someone was nutty enough to turn this into a musical. But after hearing the featured song, I am laughing because this sounds like being great fun. To the cast I say break a leg and I am sorry that I can’t make it down from Fife to see this as it looks brilliant. So if you can’t feel the force this week, do your best to get along to the musical and feel the farce!
And to give you a taster, here is A Call To Action for you all to enjoy.
nothingbutafan 