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★★★
The zany climate change comedy ‘Thor the Walrus’ has been at the Omnibus Theatre in London for a couple of previews, before it heads up to Edinburgh next week. Described as a ‘satirical comedy about a walrus on a mission’, the show is written, directed and produced by Claire Watt of WattWhereWhen and aims to use humour to alert audiences to the realities the earth faces. Loosely inspired by the real Thor the Walrus who ended up on UK shores in 2022 and featuring some true-life news stories, the dark comedy sees the walrus go on an adventure to restore the clams in the oceans and convince mankind that they need to do more to protect the planet.
A madcap comedy about the planet
The play’s strength lies in its silliness, specifically the larger than life characters, the use of fun props and the over the top sense of humour. It is approximately 60 minutes in length, focusing on Thor’s (Tom Lafferty) journey around the world and society’s attitude towards the environment. The majority of the show takes place in a fictional news station ‘Climate Time’ which is supposedly sponsored by BP and the anchors played by Tom Terry and Olivia Rainbow are a central part of the eccentric production. In this fictional universe, the citizens are consciously ignoring the problems their world faces and seem to have very little regard for the natural world. The story is told from a humorous perspective and you can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
Even though it is highly amusing, in some ways the play focuses too much on the satirical themes, that the underlying message about the future of the planet gets lost. Outside of the passionate Thor, I would have liked to have seen a little more heart amongst the constant jokes, to balance the comedy with the reflective background themes. It would also provide some respite in the script, which goes from punchline to punchline and has little breathing room.
Props and costume design
The use of props and lively costume design make this fringe production unique, with the show being filled with plenty of ridiculous outfits and comedy objects. It is a visual attempt to enhance the material and whilst on the whole I found it enjoyable, in places it is a little too predictable. I would have liked to have seen more of the understated and clever use of shadow play which is used in a later scene. It provides welcome contrast and promotes theatrical creativity amongst the satire.
Eccentric and memorable
There is no denying that ‘Thor the Walrus’ is a bonkers crowd pleaser, but for me it lacks refinement and wider impact in its current form. That being said, the references to UK culture, politics and society land very well and make the production a barrel of laughs. Alex John and Noelle Sacher are also incredibly funny, contributing many memorable characters to the material.
When the festival starts next week, you can catch ‘Thor the Walrus’ at ZOO Playground (venue #186), with performances starting at 20:15. The show is playing from 02- 25 August (not 9th) and tickets can be purchased via the festival website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for Thor the Walrus was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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