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'Every father is a superhero' is just a slogan, something unfurled outside a courtroom by a tubby Spiderman as, within, a judge decides whether he can see his son on the weekend. Super-hyped writer Alistair McDowall has found the truth to that phrase, or a truth, and created a one-man show that soars through the sky, cape flapping in the wind.
Mark is an inarticulate, unremarkable man who works in B&Q but has never bothered to decorate his own home. He becomes a father, bonding diffidently with his daughter and eventually separating from her mother. But Mark's also a superhero. He passes the time of day with Superman and isn't going to take any shit from nightclub bouncers.
McDowall blends fantasy, pastiche and hard-bitten realism with total confidence and control. The breakdown of Mark's relationship plays out during a showdown with Batman, who it turns out is a social liability, and he takes time out to tour an evil volcano lair with a snide estate agent. Mark Weinman is outstanding in the role and there's a real sense of performer, director and text presenting a united force. There are no side-kicks here.
It's a phenomenal achievement to nestle so much joyous, whimsy-free wonder in such a truthful, painful story. It's a walloping kapow to the face of cynicism, a bittersweet reminder that everyday heroism isn't as easy as it looks.