Unbelievable Radar Man Returns

JULY 2009  |  He's back. An unlikely superhero known as The Unbelievable Radar Man returns to the stage at Hamilton's 2009 Fringe Festival.

For comic book lovers and theatre enthusiasts, Aaron Lam's Fringe Festival play, The Right Turne, was like lightning in a bottle last summer at the Hamilton Fringe Festival. Lam was so thrilled with the experience and especially the audience response, that he's written a sequel called The Left Turne.

"I love sequels," says Lam, a television and film producer with The Shooting Eye. "There's nothing better than taking a story further and further into creative new realms. Sequels are a chance to offer something familiar and new at the same time."

Originally, in The Right Turne, comic book writer, Sam Turne, found himself on a journey of self-discovery as his relationship with an old friend, a past love interest, and a strange old man led him to discover his own superpowers in a time of world war and general chaos. Ultimately, Sam must find the means to save the world from a government built "death-ray". In this next chapter, set in 1940s New York, Sam struggles with romance, conflicting loyalties, and dual identities.

"It's about a superhero who's feeling left behind because the times are changing so quickly around him," states Lam. But rest assured, Lam has designed The Left Turne to stand on its own without having seen last year's show. "One of the strengths of comic books has always been the way in which they present social commentary. This play is no exception," says Lam. "In my plays I've raised questions around war vs pacifism, censorship, and gender equality."

Although there is sub-text in this new play that explores serious, thought-provoking issues, Lam makes it clear, "It's a lot of fun, both for comic book lovers and new-comers to the comic book world."

The Hamilton Fringe Festival, founded in 2002, is an 11-day unjuried theatre festival that happens every summer in downtown Hamilton, Ontario. The Fringe strives to break down traditional boundaries between audience and artist, encouraging open dialogue between theatre-goers and theatre-creators.

The Left Turne stars Matt Szpirglas, Matthew David Lupal, Vivienne Mathers, and Doug Massey. It hits the Hamilton Fringe Festival stage July 17 through July 26 with a variety of showtimes at the B.O.M. venue.

For more info: www.hamiltonfringe.ca