Toronto’s Pandemic Theatre stages Tjorvi the Flaccid‘s viking quest to restore his name and honour

Let me start off by saying that a show about vikings is not something I would ever consider seeing. Ever. So I’m not quite sure why I signed up to see it, but I’m so very glad that I did. Even though I was pretty skeptical walking into this one, the title and the description of the show promised some laughs and delivered within the first five minutes, so I knew I was going to enjoy this show.

Every character in this show does an excellent job. The roles are very well suited to the actors and the over-the-top physical comedy of the piece is very well done. This show is all about the actors and their comedic timing, which is spot on. There’s hardly ever a dull moment on stage. 

I would mention standout performances individually but in this case the entire cast did such a great job that I would be listing the entire program. There’s a French priest, a talking reindeer, a woman posing as a man and a few other characters that will make you laugh till it hurts.

The storyline is pretty straightforward. Tjorvi is the son of a glorified viking warrior but has never really accomplished anything himself. His wife nicknames him Flaccid and from then on the title sticks. Tjorvi thinks that if he wins a conquest then maybe people will start to take him seriously.

The sound and lighting were very well done and added all the needed drama to a show that operates with a  pretty bare set and no real props for the most part. The costumes are simple but definitely pass as viking attire, sometimes with a funny twist.

Unfortunately the actor who plays the parts of the queen and the mystic was unable to perform that night but the audience had the delightful pleasure of seeing the director Alex Rubin play those parts instead. He was hilarious as the Gaga-esque queen wearing red sequin pants, a cape, gold talons, a feather hat and hoop earrings. My date and I agreed that he was one of the highlights of the show.

Another favourite part for both of us was when one of the actors bursts into a soliloquy in the middle of an otherwise intense scene. That’s the best part of this play, it never takes itself too seriously.

I would highly recommend this show to anyone looking for an affordable night out with some friends. The audience was in stitches for the most part and it would be safe to say that most people seemed to enjoy the show. It is a small space though so if you do plan to attend book early, you won’t want to miss this little hidden gem.

Details:

– The Lost Sagas of Tjorvi the Flaccid plays at Unit 102 Theatre Studio (376 Dufferin St) till March 10, 2012
– Shows run Thursday to Saturday at 8pm
– Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door
– Tickets can be purchased by emailing tix@pandemictheatre.ca

Photo by Cameron Davis. Front row (from left): Tom Arthur Davis, Michael Orlando, Marcel Dragonieri, Rylan O’Reilly, Glyn Bowerman, Annie Wilkin Back row (from left): Omar Hady, Ron Kelly, Kat Letwin.