In Sofia Mavragani’s The Hero, dancer Nontas Damopoulos reincarnates the archetype of the superhero, complete with golden lycra tights over his muscular legs, red shoes, a rubber cap and his six-pack peeking from his blazer. As the cartoonish character makes his grand entrance with a ‘superman slide’, a little girl from the front rows greets him: ‘Oh, hello sir!’ He wrestles theatrically with himself and with a microphone prop, reeling around the space from invisible punches, gasping and panting, trying and failing to find his voice to speak. When he finally finds it, it is the low voice of a witless villain. Damopoulos’ comical muscularity, performed in the manner of a body-building competitor, causes chuckles in the audience. The little girl repeatedly addresses him throughout the performance: ‘You looked prettier with the cap’ (which leaves him smirking), and later: ‘Is the performance over?’ – to which he answers in his villain voice: ‘Do not hurry…’
When the Hero exits, leaving a scarecrow of himself onstage, Yiannis applauds enthusiastically. He is much more fluent about this piece. ‘He looked like a body-builder. It gave me the chills, but I liked it.’ Despite all the humour, he could sense the loneliness and sadness of the character in his struggle to beat the mic – which for him might also represent technology or social media (what an interesting reference coming from a kid!). ‘He couldn’t make it, but he didn’t give up. At the end it looked like he was leaving his place to somebody else.’
Mavragani considers The Hero relatable to audiences of all ages without the need for any adjustments. ‘The theme is popular with children. We grow up with (super) heroes and heroines. In the piece there is a character on stage who we can recognise despite not always knowing what he is doing. The play has humour and Nontas is spectacular and skilled both kinetically and interpretively. These facts certainly help to reach various ages.’
For her, the piece invites interaction with the audience. Any reaction, positive or negative, is a source of feedback, and may create interesting challenges and surprises onstage. ‘A mixed audience of adults and children viewing The Hero is of great interest to me. The adults may need to redefine conventional ways of watching, while the kids create them on the spot, live, and in direct relation to what is happening above and below the stage. The experience of the piece with child spectators is enjoyable because it “breaks” the theatrical contract and exposes the play in front of everyone.’
