A Modern Guide to Heroism and Sidekickery is Michelle’s first solo show. It asks lots of questions, questions like ‘What happens if you accidentally become a hero?’, ‘What happens if you don’t?’, ‘Why isn’t there a word for a male damsel?’, and ‘Why don’t women’s clothes have adequate pockets?’
For this mission she’s combining storytelling, poetry, comedy, shadow puppetry and physical theatre with a hint of audience participation (the nice kind, where you get to stay in your seat… mostly). She brings to life a brand new hero, whose problem solving skills and affinity for rooftops have gain her a hero’s reputation. As well as a series of responsibilities she didn’t ask for. Suddenly she finds herself dealing with media hype, impossible expectations, protest groups and sponsorship deals. She doesn’t really understand, Batman never had to deal with this shit.
Recently the work has been published with Olcan Press. Copies are available here.
Michelle has performed the show around the world, including at the Adelaide Fringe and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. You can check out some of the reviews here:
“Zahner is the most affable performer, her zeal is strong as she tells the wild story and creates real social change.” 4 and a half stars- Fourth Wall Media
“Zahner transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary, all via language.” Four Stars – Out in Perth
https://www.outinperth.com/review-modern-guide-fresh-take-superhero-genre/
“a gorgeously told story about an accidental super hero, the side kick who makes her famous and a narrator called Michelle – who as the creator of this show, is a bit of a super hero herself.” – Stage Whispers
http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/modern-guide-heroism-and-sidekickery
“A Modern Guide to Heroism and Sidekickery manages something a slew of superhero films fail to do – it sticks the landing, giving audiences a thought provoking experience.” 7/10 – XPress Magazine
http://xpressmag.com.au/a-modern-guide-to-heroism-and-sidekickery-gets-7-10-whoo-superhero-landing/
Michelle Zahner 