Stage performance One Punch Wonder addresses ideas of manhood, “toxic masculinity” and the “coward’s punch”

Ideas of manhood are set to be redefined in One Punch Wonder, a stage show that addresses issues around the “coward’s punch” and the effects of “toxic masculinity”. The show, on at the Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre tonight, offers a fresh take on violent and misogynistic societal issues and is performed by four male actors, who also tackle female roles. Shire of Harvey President Paul Gillett said One Punch Wonder is a powerful example of how performance art can tackle everyday issues and difficult subjects that affect us all. “There are often conflicting messages in society around being a man and this performance shines a spotlight on the outcome of good and bad decision making concerning this subject,” he said. Director Amanda Crewes said she wanted to bring a verbatim piece to the stage, in response to the ongoing prevalence of stories in the news, social media and various online articles. This issue of coward punches is such a male-dominated problem but we need to show the mothers and sisters, talking about it from their perspectives,” she said. One Punch Wonder is the first Actor’s Hub Studios Inc-produced show to go on tour, having been performed across the nation since 2018. Its WA stint in 2020 was cancelled due to COVID restrictions. Ms Crewes said regional arts venues were very proactive in regards to the mental health of their communities and could see this “cultural norm” having a big impact on community members. “They wanted to address the issue by establishing a common language that those who’ve been affected could use to unpack and grow from their experiences,” she said. One Punch Wonder will start at 7pm tonight.