Brisbane review – Marvelous: A Dynamic, Cheeky, Experience

By Lilian Harrington

Production:  Marvelous A Risqué Parody

Writer:            Samwise Holmes, with Cynthia Guthrie, Luka Lea -Vestic.                  

Direction:      Samwise Holmes, Sally Jackson

Company:     Action Reaction Entertainment

Location:       The Twelfth Night Theatre 4 Cintra St. Bowen Hills, Brisbane

Season: March 18- 29 at 7 30

Tickets: Try booking or call (07) 3252 5122

This Sydney based entertainment company have brought their raunchy, high-energy act to Brisbane as part of their professional national 2026 tour of Brisbane and Perth.

Written and directed by Samwise Holmes, and his team of Creatives, Cynthia Guthrie and Luka Lea–Vestic, with compositions and music arrangements from Christine Pan, this is a “music-dance” spectacular, which covers many different skills including: circus, comedy, risqué cabaret, and musical parody, all rolled into one 85-minute non- stop energetic and racy, MA15+ show, where nothing is spared!

The show is a take on the Marvel Universe and it features amazing aerial stunts, iconic movie heroes from “Star Wars to The Simpsons”, along with in-jokes and references to the material of American comic book writer Stan Lee, plus famous characters, and well-known popular sounds tracks, which supports the movement and fast -paced action of Holmes and his Creatives.

While it is definitely not a show for children, Marvelous has a particular appeal to young adults and to members of the LBGT Community, who absolutely applauded the jokes and encouraged the “salacious” intentions and images seen in the movement and dance routines, performed with a high level of skill and made to look so easy.

Technically the show was well planned and the special effects by David Bowling and lighting by James Wallis were awesome and outstanding; at times the strobe lighting effects that engulfed the audience, were a little strong and the audience found themselves somewhat overwhelmed by bright lights, but the overall impact of having a character “fly” through the lighting set -up, or emerge out of the clever mobile screens that were moved around to support the action at different height levels was quite breathtaking, so there was little time for the audience’s attention to waver.

This show began in Sydney in 2024, with family support, it has been improved on since then, as it has travelled to various venues in Australia; the cast are all very adept at making fast changes and interacting effectively together and with the audience. Sometimes the props or parts of their well-styled costumes landed in the audience and young followers would keep these as “trophies”, to be framed later!

Holmes who also takes part in the show as Deadpool, Rami, or Spiderman, gives a loose narration throughout; it has taken over five years to get Marvelous to this stage. He has found ways to experiment and bring more shock, horror, new stunts, fight choreography together, along with comedic twists and acrobatic high jinks in aerial arts to featured characters: Captain America, Peter Parker, Lady Thor, Gwen Stacy, Loki, Mary Jane, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron woman, Zendaya, and Winter Soldier. 

The choreography from Emma Wong, (a Chinese – Malay Australian Movement Artist), along with Benjamin Dingley (Content Production) and Dan Potra (Production Design), has enabled Marvelous to transition seamlessly to the big stage where it becomes an innovative and diverse production.

The talented Megan Wonfor plays the Black Widow and Spider Gwen, she delivered her fast- paced dancing routines and acrobatic skills with great aplomb. The Marvelous cast have high energy and there is non- stop multiple characters to be portrayed in the fast- paced wicked sketches, which incorporate impressive aerial antics, but it’s a cheeky laugh through the genre of pop culture and it’s inviting to an adult audience.