Dark Knight rises for Batman Darren
By day he works at a hospital helping to mend broken bones. But by night – and on the occasional weekend – Darren Beddows takes on a very different persona, becoming Shropshire’s very own version of Batman.
By day he works at a hospital helping to mend broken bones. But by night – and on the occasional weekend – Darren Beddows takes on a very different persona, becoming Shropshire’s very own version of Batman.
The 40-year-old from Coton Hill, Shrewsbury, has spent around £3,000 on a top-of-the-line Caped Crusader outfit from Canada.
And he has even perfected his Christian Bale impression.
The orthopaedic practitioner at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital has been in high demand, travelling around the country to appear at cinemas to help promote new film The Dark Knight Rises.
Mr Beddows said he has been dressing up in costumes for a decade.
He said: “It started about 10 years ago when I got into Star Wars costuming as a stormtrooper. I have got a bit of a passion for Batman and thought ‘why not?’
“I got the suit about a year and a half ago. It came from Canada and it actually cost with all the accessories around the £2,500 to £3,000 mark. It is an expensive hobby but I don’t drink or smoke so that’s what I spend my money on.”
Mr Beddows said he has made recent appearances in the outfit in Castleford, Leeds and Shrewsbury’s Cineworld – but admitted that being the Caped Crusader is no easy task.
“The suit is pretty unbearable on a hot day,” he said. “It is black suit, leather with Kevlar armour and no room to breathe. You end up being a sweaty Batman.”
With The Dark Knight Rises breaking box office records across the world, Mr Beddows said that Batman’s popularity is down to audiences being able to relate to him, adding: “He is the only superhero you could have in real life as he has got no superpowers.”