There is a strong case to be made that Canada’s best comedians come from Newfoundland. Whether it’s Canadian humour icon Rick Mercer, or the inimitable Mary Walsh, the Rock has produced some of this country’s greatest comedic voices.
Among this group of talented performers is Andy Jones, former member of the legendary Canadian humour troupe CODCO. With cutting-edge skits that were far ahead of their time, Jones tackled such issues as homophobia, the priesthood and his beloved province of Newfoundland.
Jones is now bringing his sharp Newfie wit to the National Arts Centre through his loose adaptation of Molière’s classic 17th-century French play Tartuffe, which opens the NAC’s 2013-14 theatrical season. Instead of France 350 years ago, however, this version of Tartuffe is set in Newfoundland in 1939.
Tartuffe, played by Jones, is a religious charlatan who pretends to be a spiritual man. Rather than saving souls, his real goal is to con the rich fish merchant Orgon, played by Joey Tremblay, who lets the false preacher live in his house and make use of his vast wealth.
Orgon, who lost an arm in the war, is so completely fooled by the faux priest that he offers him his daughter Marianne, played by Leah Doz, despite having already blessed her marriage to another man. Tartuffe’s wandering eye, however, is not fixed on Marianne, but rather on Orgon’s wife Elmire, played by Christine Brubaker.
While claiming that he has been spiritually saved, the oblivious Orgon does not realize that the supposed holy man is trying to seduce Elmire behind his back. Nevertheless, this fraudulent behaviour is obvious to others, such as Tartuffe’s son Damis, played by Eric Davis, and the family’s maid Dorine, played by Petrina Bromley.
Left to right: Eric Davis (Damis) and Andy Jones (Tartuffe). Photo by Andree Lanthier.
There are many aspects of this theatrical adaptation that are wonderful. The set is first-class while the use of the stage space is top notch.
The offerings of Newfoundland wit are also excellent. On several occasions, the audience was in stitches, as they laughed at the biting jokes about the Catholic Church, the male libido and Orgon’s naivety.
That being said, certain aspects of the play were a bit off. While supposedly set in Newfoundland in the late 1930s, the accents of many of the actors sounded more like downtown Toronto circa 2013. If it weren’t for specific touches of Newfie humour in the play, particularly by Jones, this adaptation could have been set in modern day urban Ontario.
The quality of acting also varied. While characters like Dorine and Tartuffe shone brightly, others were less convincing. Nevertheless, this is still a fun play and is worth seeing.
Tartuffe is at the NAC until November 3. Regular tickets start at $23, while cheaper options are available for students (aged 13-29) on the day of the performance or through special student tickets / student subscriptions.
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