KING GILGAMESH &THE MAN OF THE WILD – REVIEW OF TRIA THEATRE PRODUCTION

Reviewed by James Karas

King Gilgamesh & The Man of the Wild tells some interesting stories contains some humorous incidents and some Middle Eastern jazz and singing. It does touch on the ancient epic of Gilgamesh and some parts of the story are acted out by the two actors in the play. The real story is about the relationship between Jesse LaVercombe  and Ahmed Moneka who play themselves.

LaVercombe and Moneka along with Seth Bockley are the authors of the play and they are playing themselves be it in a fictionalized narration of their relationship. In the story of King Gilgamesh, Moneka plays King Gilgamesh and LaVercombe plays Enkidu.

Jesse and Ahmed meet in a café in Toronto. Ahmed, an Iraqi refugee, who works in the café, has just been granted landed status in Canada. Jesse is an American Jew from Minnesota who is staying in Canada he has health insurance because of a relationship with a Canadian woman. He is an actor looking for work in the U.S.A. Ahmed was a filmmaker in Iraq but was exiled because he made a film about homosexuals.

The most touching and funniest part of the play is what Jesse and Ahmed tell us about themselves. We hear about Ahmed becoming a refugee in Canada while the rest of his family is in Turkey and about the American invasion of his country. He is aware that he comes from a country that can claim to be the source of civilization. Jesse comes from Minnesota, the state with the largest ball of string in the world. 

 Jesse LaVercombe  and Ahmed Moneka

The funniest part of the play is probably the telling by each of them, of their first sexual experience involving premature ejaculation and extended coitus. I will not bore you with the details.

There is a professional band on stage and they deserve individual mention. Demetrios Patsalakis is the bandleader and he plays several instruments. Waleed Abdulhamis plays bass and sings. Jessica Deutsch plays the violin, Max Senitt handles the drums and Selcuk Suna is on the saxophone and clarinet. LaVercombe plays the piano and Moneka sings. They give us almost a concert of Iraqi music which, thou unfamiliar, was quite enjoyable.

Let me praise Moneka and LaVercombe. Moneka has a wonderful voice and he is a natural entertainer. He is forthright, energetic and in command of his material. One small complaint about him is that he was not always clearly understood. He was miked (I assume it was a necessity because he has to sing??) and his voice was a bit loud for the size of the theatre during dialogue.

 Jesse LaVercombe  and Ahmed Moneka

LaVercombe gave a stellar performance. He is a natural comic who has perfect timing. He can get a laugh with a facial expression, a voice modulation or a slight delay in replying during the dialogue. I found him just brilliant. Performances are under the tutelage of the director and in this case Bockley gets the wreath for excellent work. The performers and creative team are a veritable United Nations.

The plot follows the relationship between the two men who become friends and discuss Gilgamesh and act out scenes from the old epic. They do well but what they do was not clear and calling the play King Gilgamesh & The Man of the Wild is, I suggest,  misleading. It may be what brought the three writers together and they spent time putting it together but the Gilgamesh parts were the weakest.

The set by Lorenzo Savoini consisted of a large table and some chairs (plus the musicians at the back)  and that was all that was needed in the Michael Young Theatre.

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King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild by Jesse LaVercombe  and Ahmed Moneka continues until August 6, 2023 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 55 Tank House Lane, Toronto, Ontario. www.soulpepper.ca.

James Karas is the enior Editor - Culture of The Greek Press. This review appears in the newspaper.