Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Thor the Walrus
WattWhereWhy!
Genre: Comedy, Satire, Theatre
Venue: ZOO Playground 1
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
The Day Today meets Our Planet in the tale of Thor the Walrus, wherein hungry juvenile walrus Thor attempts to find out where all the clams have gone. Along the way, he meets with a cast of odd and confusing characters, including humankind, who might not be so kind after all. The Day Today meets Our Planet in this thought-provoking tale that will leave you laughing as much as wondering what your own part in Thor’s misfortune has been.
Review
In November 2022, a three year old walrus wound up on the shores of Scarborough, Yorkshire on New Year’s Eve. We named him Thor, we set up a cordon around him, we cancelled the fireworks. The welfare of the walrus has to take precedence, those in charge said. Sacrificing the fireworks, British Divers Marine Life Rescue crowed, was a big step forward for animal welfare. And it was never a problem again. The end. At least until the next poor instagramable creature washes up.
‘Thor the Walrus’, appropriately at ZOO Playground, pulls no punches in its telling of Thor’s journey. As the adorable walrus searches for clams to feed himself and his hungry mother, he is swept into a jet stream that takes him to a strange place called England. Thor comes across a seagull who dreams of being beautiful enough to be released at a wedding, a suspicious French crab, and the strangest creature of all, the Coast Guard and other humans like them. They all elude to the reason Thor’s clams are less plentiful, but none will elaborate. The reason is not spoken of, simply accepted. Thor’s story is wrapped in the device of a news program, sponsored by BP, there to remind us that it is our inability to recycle cans properly and not, say, Taylor Swift’s jet or overfishing or any of that nonsense that is causing this whole climate change thing.
If you’re waiting for a glimmer of hope, I don’t know if you’ll find it here. Where many shows that focus on climate change insist on the ultimate resilience of humans (aren’t we great?), Claire Watt’s hilarious and informative script leaves no room for anyone to say “at least I’m better than that guy”. The vague politician and the dishonest green branding of Unilever products is no more safe than the instagram activist or conservationist who focuses on anecdotal wildlife and not, ya know, the planet they live on.
That’s not to say that the experience is grim, only that where many shows might take your hand and gently caress you into please remembering the trees, this one makes you shake with laughter while it shakes your shoulders with reality. The WattWhereWhy! cast, taking on the roles of animals and humans (assuming there is a difference), has fantastic chemistry and a wonderful feel for characterization. Tom Terry and Olivia Rainbow’s chaotic newsreaders volley between hilarious and horrifying, while Alex John and Noelle Sacher take turns stealing scenes as the unhinged people and animals Thor meets along the way. As Thor, Tom Lafferty elicits sympathy and at times bone-crushing guilt from the walrus-loving audience, even from behind his costume tusks. The direction and set design is economical and effective for small spaces, and could easily be inflated into a larger production with ease if the opportunity arose. It’s a rare sort of comedy that lulls you with laughs and then slaps awake from your warm duvet of manufactured consent and reusable Sainsbury bags.
This unique, funny, thought-provoking play is well worth your time… whatever time we have left, that is.
