There’s an acting master class currently on stage at Tarragon Theatre. And it’s led by a quartet of Toronto stage legends: Nancy Palk, Oliver Dennis, William Webster and Sheila McCarthy.
In Gregory Prest’s magnificent tragicomedy “Bremen Town,” those four are delivering performances so layered and so deeply lived-in that the adjective “profound” seems insufficient to describe their collective work. But with their humorous yet quietly moving portrayals, it’s as if they’re reaching out to their audience across the proscenium arch, asking us to consider what it means to continue living after one has outlived their usefulness.
The play is loosely based on the Brothers Grimm folk story “The Town Musicians of Bremen,” about an unlikely group of aging and mistreated farm animals who band together after escaping from the clutches of their owners, and head off to a small German town in hopes of becoming musicians.
In Prest’s stage adaptation, filled with whimsy and a touch of fairy tale absurdity, the animals are here rendered as humans. Its central protagonist is Palk’s Frau Esel, a no-nonsense, whip-smart housekeeper who’s abruptly sacked from her position at a posh German estate after more than four decades of service. Why? Because the new mistress of the house thinks she’s too old.
With steely determination in her eyes and arms pumping beside her chest, Esel immediately sets off in a fit of rage toward Bremen, where she plans to reunite with her adult son, an accomplished clarinetist with the town’s orchestra.
In classic folk tale fashion, though, Esel meets a host of eccentric characters along the way, who join her on the trip to Bremen. First is Dennis’s Herr Hund, an elderly travelling magician who’s lost his magic touch. He’s the complete opposite of Esel — impulsive, carefree and listless, his arms always loosely akimbo, almost resembling a dithering rooster.
Next to join the caravan is Herr Katze, an old man who returns to his hometown after decades away, only to discover that it’s deserted and in ruins. Webster, with his deep and sonorous voice, lends a comforting aura of wisdom to the role.
The posse’s final addition is Frau Henne, a frail woman who is, quite literally, put out to pasture by her cruel children. McCarthy, wearing a wide, toothless grin across her face, balances both joy and stinging pathos in her performance.
I saw “Bremen Town” for the first time in 2023, at the Toronto Fringe’s Next Stage Festival. The production, also directed by Prest, has grown beautifully since then to fit into Tarragon Theatre’s Mainspace, though still maintains the rustic intimacy from its original run. Nancy Perrin’s gorgeous set is framed with black and white stencil images, resembling those from an old anthology of folk tales. Logan Raju Cracknell’s dreamlike lighting designs fill an otherwise dark and empty stage with warmth and colour. And Tatjana Cornij’s musical underscoring on the accordion adds urgency to the proceedings.
Prest’s material hasn’t changed much since its Next Stage run, though this iteration feels somewhat funnier and tighter than before. Nevertheless, some scenes in the middle could be pared down even further. And I wish Prest would revisit his ending. While his instinct to avoid a conclusion that’s sodden with moral lessons is admirable, the final scenes of “Bremen Town” feel rushed, shortchanging audiences of the cathartic release that this story demands.
These, however, are minor nitpicks. I was still left in awe by Prest’s new play. I was still deeply touched.
For me, the show’s power lies in its thematic breadth. Yes, “Bremen Town” urges us to confront how we, as a society, value our elders. But it asks us to look inside ourselves, as well. How do we find meaning in our lives when others see no meaning in it? Esel’s journey to Bremen is physical journey, but it’s also an emotional and spiritual one, too.
Prest’s production is rounded out by an ensemble featuring Farhang Ghajar, Veronica Hortigüela and Dan Mousseau, who play an array of other townsfolk and offer bits of comedy that help us more easily digest some of those darker aspects of the play.
But the greatest comfort on this dark and winding road is the presence of Palk, Dennis, Webster and McCarthy. Together in lockstep, their marvellous performances set to the lonely night aglow.
