The Royal Court Theatre in London is currently showcasing Black Superhero, the debut play of actor, writer, and Olivier Award nominee Danny Lee Wynter. The play, which features a promotional image of two Black men embracing in a defiant display of queerness, explores the themes of sex and identity through the lens of a group of Black and mixed-race friends.
Growing up as a working-class mixed-race queer kid, Wynter felt “othered” by those around him, and his identity was often used as a “stick to beat” him with. Black Superhero was an opportunity for Wynter to write a show that no one in the entertainment world would give space to, and a chance to unpack his younger years.
The play stars Pose actor Dyllón Burnside as King, an ultra-successful actor in a DC-style superhero film, and Wynter himself as David, an insecure, waning actor approaching his 40s. Black Superhero is a bombastic exploration of sex and identity, and before long, David and King become involved in a messy – but incredibly hot – f**k buddy situation.
Despite the increasing space on stage and screen for Black and queer stories, they are too often rooted in trauma. Wynter and Burnside wanted to challenge this and depict Black queer characters in all their complexity and flaws. They wanted to create a show that explored difficult conversations about the queer Black community but also celebrated life and leaned into humor.
Shows like Black Superhero can also provide a space of mutual understanding for communities who have long had their stories neglected. The play’s poster choice of an open display of Black queer intimacy can provide a sense of camaraderie and friendship among the Black queer community.
Wynter founded the Act for Change project in 2014, motivated by his own experience of racism in the arts, and the charity aimed to increase diversity on stage and screen. With a show like Black Superhero holding such a huge platform, he acknowledges that strides have been made in certain respects, but more needs to be done to tell Black queer stories in primetime TV.
Black Superhero is on stage at London’s Royal Court Theatre until Saturday 29 April.