From page to stage: Fringe original ‘Cartoon Heroes’ to celebrate comic book favourites

From the beloved world of Marvel and DC, to the outer reaches of the multiverse, a singing and dancing spectacle like no other is coming to Fringe World this summer. Created by locals Chlo&Co, Cartoon Heroes is a cabaret that breaks free from the traditions of the craft, bringing a joyous celebration of all things comic book heroes from page to stage at Theatre One at Hayman Theatre from Friday, January 20 to Sunday, January 29 (get more info and tickets here). BRAYDEN EDWARDS spoke to the show’s creator and star Chloe Palliser to find out about the heroes, fictional and real, that have brought the show to life.

Obvious first question…Marvel or DC and why?

This question is so hard because I like both. I’m definitely more of a Marvel fan now than I used to be. I love the movies and the franchise. Guardians of the Galaxy are by far my favourite set of movies created by Marvel. Peter Quill has an impeccable music taste.

Did you have a personal favourite hero when you were young, and has that changed over time?

I grew up with the biggest Batman obsession, especially as a teenager. I don’t even know how that started. I guess I was admirable of the independence and drive to do the right thing, regardless of the vigilante status. I got to meet the Justice League at Movie World on the Gold Coast when I was about 14 years old and thought it was the best thing ever. Since growing up I’ve grown fonder of Poison Ivy. Even though she’s a villain, she uses her powers to stop people from ruining the earth. She’s very “save the trees.”

But as a ‘grown-up’ when things get serious, who are the first ‘heroes’ you want in your posse when shit goes down?

Tony Stark, because he always learns from his mistakes (think about the armour development over the Iron Man movies), the Guardians of the Galaxy crew (Gamora, Quill, Drax, Groot and Rocket) because of their skills in firearms and combat, and Thor because we all need that dad friend in our lives.

And how do you go about celebrating heroes like this on stage? Some of them have special powers that must be hard to master…

That’s been my favourite part about this process, is figuring out how to portray these characters. In an ideal world, I’d suspend Spider-Man from the rig, and have cool pyrotechnical effects come out of guns. With the casting choices, I looked into who was most like which character, and let the actors’ imaginations run wild with ideas. From those ideas we got the song choices that suit each character, and a very hilarious cabaret show.

This show is a celebration of nerdiness really…do you have a nerd confession for us?

Depends on the “genre” of nerd (laughs). I’m very heavily involved with theatre, and I work professionally in the shadows. I love seeing shows like Cursed Child, and seeing how something as simple as a lighting design can affect the way a magic effect is made on stage. I am also involved with the LARP community in Perth (think along the lines of live action DND), I used to cosplay with my most recent being Shego from Kim Possible but I haven’t done any since I’d undergone my Bachelor’s degree.

I think the biggest nerdiest confession I have would be my astronomy obsession. I love all things about stars and space. If Astrophysics wasn’t so hard, I think that may have been my alternate career, specifically looking into nebulas, black holes, and the lifecycle of stars. I did an Astronomy elective back at uni and despite failing it the first time (passed the second time around), it was always something that captivated me during my studies.

If the members of your team were superheroes who would you liken them to?

I cast everyone based on heroes in the show!

Christian and Asha are my two MCs in the show. Christian I’ve cast as Thor and Asha as Loki. Christian has that warm approachable personality that we love about Thor, and Asha has a slightly cheeky and chaotic nature about her which best suits the mischievous brother. The MC duo bounce off each other well and bring a playfulness to their roles.

Bailey I have cast as “Spider-Man” and Aramis plays “Iron Man.” Bailey brings innocence and energy to the role, as if he was a real-life Spider-Man, plus he likes to do his own stunts much like Tom Holland does with his portrayal of Spider-Man. Aramis plays up the ego of Tony Stark incredibly well, despite being super down to earth nothing like Tony himself. These two share a great friendship like Tony and Peter, just less “father and son” and more so “brothers.”

Tori embodies a fantastically gender-bent Captain America and Oniesha the ever so cunning Black Widow. Tori has an exuberant natural courage which can be found in Steve Rogers’ personality, and she always encourages people to do the right thing. Oniesha has a big heart like Natasha and while physical flexibility for Oniesha doesn’t come as easy, she makes up for it in her incredible voice. The caring nature of both these talented women are traits represented in the characters they play, and a valued addition to the team.

Jason I have cast as Star Lord and myself as Gamora. The two of use share a super cheesy, upbeat tap routine that represents the playful and friendly relationship between the two characters. Jason brings the charisma and energy of Peter Quill to life, even if he isn’t singing. His dad dancing at the start of the tap routine reminds me of a particular Marvel movie. Gamora is very stoic, but deep down has a soft and gooey heart, and these are something I relate to myself as a person.

My three wonderful crew, Peter (Pear), Isla and Priya all somewhat relate to characters too. Pear has the big loveable strength of Hulk (but “End Game” hulk where he’s the big green dude with glasses). Pear is our wonderful sound technician on the production. Isla takes on the chaotic nature of Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy, but she is also incredibly clever and talented at many things, hence she is my Stage Manager. Priya is a natural born leader and is always willing to help like Dr Steven Strange. She is a late addition to the team (mainly tagging along with her fiancé Christian to rehearsals) but has been proven to be a big help in getting the show on its feet.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Another tough question!

I’d love elasticity like Elasta Girl from The Incredibles. Being able to reach high places would prove to be an advantage especially in my career. As a professional lighting tech, it would make focusing lights so much easier without having to use EWPs or climbing ladders up to the rig, risking your safety. It would also be beneficial to all the dancing I do.