45 years after the end of its broadcast on Télé-Métropole, symphoric returns funnier than ever to the Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne until August 14th.
Once the curtain rises, viewers will be surprised to find an environment similar to that of the mythical TV series. The front door adorned with colored stained glass windows, the staircase to the bedrooms, the small round table in the middle of the hallway and the living room with sink are identical. You feel transported back to the late 1970s.
The new version, written by Pierre Huet and Louis Saia, successfully uses the codes installed by the original author, Marcel Gamache, and is intended as the 270th installment of the saga.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
On stage we find the colorful characters who populated the house of Madame Sylvain (Michelle Labonté), where Symphorien (François Chénier) works as a concierge, always flanked by his brother Éphrem (Martin Héroux).
While handsome Doctor Jetté is back in retirement, Mademoiselle Lespérance (Nathalie Mallette) remains an spinster desperate to find love, even if Oscar Bellemare (Patrice Coquereau), the king of undertakers, is still as eager despite his back around them woos pain.
For her part, Madame Sylvain has an ambivalent relationship with the priest of Dolbeau, a former childhood sweetheart, while the grumpy Agathe Lamarre, Symphorien’s mother-in-law, settles down with her cat after liposuction on her legs. .
As in the TV series, the plot is thin and we stick to the festival of simple and simple wordplay, but which works every time: “They have good working conditions. You get paid when you work!”, “We can’t afford to be poor” or “I drink milk when the cows eat grapes” are among the memorable lines of the evening.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
The interest of this production lies above all in the extraordinary acting of the actors who understood the essence of the original series. Nathalie Mallette embodies a Mademoiselle Lespérance, more instinctive than ever, with a sense of perfect timing. Each of his performances is tasty.
Patrice Coquereau also gives an incredible performance, both in Oscar Bellemare’s burlesque and in the hilarious features of Agathe Lamarre, giving him an even more bitter and vengeful character.
As for François Chénier, he is simply stunning in his resemblance to Gilles Latulippe who portrayed this character in the series. It’s all there: his gait, his habit of swinging on his feet, his hands in his pockets, his gestures and the way he speaks.
The staging by Louis Saia and Pierre Séguin is effective and without dead times, even if the story sometimes drags on a bit.
Nostalgics get their money’s worth. The youngest or those who haven’t experienced the series will be dazzled by so much talent.
The Symphorien play is definitely a summer must-see.