Matthew McKenna will play Bananaman
Matthew McKenna has been unmasked as the star and “handsome hero” of Bananaman the Musical and will be attempting to save the world at London’s Southwark Playhouse this Christmas.
Bananaman, the Man-of-Peel, is flying out of the pages of the much-loved comic Beano, and the hugely popular TV cartoon, in the world premiere of Bananaman the Musical, the new musical comedy by Leon Parris.
Matthew McKenna has appeared in many major West End musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Legally Blonde the Musical, We Will Rock You, Starlight Express (as Elektra), The Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff), and both Singin’ in the Rain and 42nd Street at the Theatre Du Chatelet, Paris.
Also starring, as Bananaman’s arch nemesis Doctor Gloom, the super villain seeking world domination, will be Marc Pickering (Young ‘Nucky’ Thompson in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Montparnasse in the Les Misérables movie). He returns to Southwark Playhouse where he appeared in the European premiere of Toxic Avenger The Musical.
Bringing the rest of the residents of Acacia Road to life are Jodie Jacobs (Broadway World Award Best Supporting Actress for Rock of Ages) as Eric’s loyal sidekick, Crow; Mark Newnham (Dave Davies, in Sunny Afternoon) as Eric Wimp; and Carl Mullaney (Les Misérables, Chicago) as General Blight.
Jodie Jacobs is loyal sidekick Crow
Also in the cast are TJ Lloyd (Guys and Dolls, Into the Woods); Lizzii Hills (The Toxic Avenger The Musical); Brian Gilligan (Once, The Commitments); Emma Ralston (The Frogs, Meet Me In St. Louis); Chris McGuigan (Candide, Judy!); and Amy Perry (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Road Show).
Bananaman began life in the Nutty comic in 1980, and was a runaway success, transferring to The Dandy before joining the world’s longest-running comic, The Beano in 2012 and he is now one of Beano’s flagship characters.
A send-up of the likes of Superman and Batman, he was the subject of the hugely popular TV cartoon that ran between 1983 and 1986 for three series and 40 episodes on the BBC and featured the voices of Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie from The Goodies.
Fans of the TV series will remember the iconic opening sequence, “This is 29 Acacia Road. And this is Eric Wimp. He’s a schoolboy who leads an amazing double life. For when Eric eats a banana an amazing transformation occurs. Eric is Bananaman. Ever alert for the call to action…”
Bananaman the Musical, written and composed by Leon Parris, directed by Mark Perry, will run at Southwark Playhouse from 15 December 2017 to 20 January 2018 (press night is 4 January).
In the creative team are: Alan Berry (musical supervisor); Grant Murphy (associate director/choreographer); and Mike Leopold (set and costume designer).
Bananaman the Musical is produced by Sightline Entertainment in association with Cahoots Theatre Company and Beano Studios.
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