Who sues a superhero?!

Housebum: A Superhero On Trial! written by Jean-François Michaud and François Morin, and directed by MaskVsTitle

If Superman once described the hero of a generation now-passed, then Housebum represents the superhero of the 21st century – sort of. Some would argue that he isn't really a superhero; harassing jaywalkers, and beating small-time villains over the head with a chair before rolling them onto a ditch isn't exactly the most super of deeds. But in a city practically run an evil corporation (by the name of Platypus Corp.) and their fetus-murdering cereal, this is exactly the kind of man that can make a difference – or at least before the sun sets, 'cause then it just gets plain dangerous. When the city's supervillains unite to sue our dumper-diving hero for damages caused by concussions, the story takes an interesting turn.

Housebum: A Superhero On Trial! is a charming play put together by Jean-François Michaud and François Morin, and while half of the cast speaks without an accent, you can feel the "Franglophone" coming out of each line of dialogue. This is a good thing, because Housebum has the charm of a B-Movie about superheroes. The props are entirely made out of cut out boxes, painted over by a black Sharpie, and put together with tape. The costumes are silly, the characters on stage are fun, and the presentation fluctuates between the center stage and a television to the right. For the most part, the play is funny throughout. Like a "good" B-Movie, it's chock-full of cheese, delivered with just the right contrast, making it go from a simply passable play to a fairly entertaining show. Although the page describes the show as going on for a full hour, the presentation time is roughly 45 minutes. The actors are on-point with their dialogue, and their interaction with pre-recorded footage played on the television is definitely on-key.

If anything, Housebum plays its cards right and presents us with a row of punchlines that will appeal to comic book geeks who have a love for a bit of cheese, with all the grace and tact of Montreal city with it.

You can check out the show this weekend at Montreal Improv Theatre (3697 Saint-Laurent). All the details are available at the Montreal Fringe Festival website, and you can check out what people are saying using #Housebum and following @MaskVsTitle on Twitter.

--Jocelyn Beaudet hosts The Dead of Night the Loneliest Hours, Fridays at 11:59 PM on CJLO.