Seattle Children's Theatre presents a world premiere of In the Northern Lands: Nordic Myths now through March 14. Emily Chisholm plays Freya, and David Quicksall, Hans Altwies, and Rafael Untalan portray dwarves in this scene, one of many tales that make up the production.
A Parent's Review: In the Northern Lands: Nordic Myths
By Laura Spruce Wight
The Seattle Children's Theatre production In the Northern Lands: Nordic Myths breathes life into Norse gods mostly forgotten in the modern world. The Roman god Cupid recently made his annual Valentine's Day appearance, but few are familiar with Frigg, the Norse goddess of love, even though our most popular day of the week Friday is named for her. Zeus, the Greek thunder god, often comes to mind before his Norse equivalent Thor, for whom Thursday is named.
The myths tell of a world where dwarves, giants, and shape shifters dwell, where a magical ring gives its bearer a corruptible power, and apples offer immortality. Themes like innocence, bravery, and loyalty make the fantastical tales timeless. The lessons the myths teach (like no one can beat old age) are as relevant today as they were long ago.
Most academics agree the stories of these mortal gods, passed down orally for generations, originated in Iceland, but several nations including Norway, Greenland, Ireland, and Germany claim the tales as their own.
The Children's Theatre production takes (as one parent in the audience put it) a “greatest hits” approach and threads together the most accessible stories. The heavy narrative style calls to mind Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy; indeed Tolkien drew inspiration in part from Norse and Germanic mythology while penning his tales of Middle-earth.
Understanding most of the tales requires focus. Kids who are able to follow sophisticated narration, and keep track of places and characters whose names do not readily roll off the modern tongue, will enjoy this journey into the Northern Lands. There are also some scary moments, like an encounter with “Hella,” the goddess of the dead, and Fenrir, the giant wolf who gnaws off the hand of Tyr, the god of justice and war.
My nearly 7-year-old daughter most enjoyed the stories that came right before the intermission – mainly because they were more humorous than the darker tales that bookend the production. It's impossible not to laugh when Thor finds himself in drag as he attempts to recover his mighty hammer from an opportunistic giant.
The set design is stark and the costumes are simple, but work together well to tell the tales of a distant time. The aerial rope work employed by the actors, gives the storytelling dimension. Don't expect Cirque du Soleil, but anyone who has ever tried to climb a rope in gym class will be impressed by the physicality required of the actors as they play out the adventures of Norse gods while suspended mid-air.
My daughter and her friend had a great time filling in the Nordic Myth Mad Lib at the back of the program. It also offers a brief Who's Who and What's What in the Northern Lands that will help familiarize theatergoers with the people and places they are about to encounter. I'd also recommend reading a bit about Norse mythology at your local library before seeing the play.
IF YOU GO
Where: Seattle Children's Theatre's Charlotte Martin Theatre, 201 Thomas St. in Seattle, located at the west entrance of Seattle Center, just north of Pacific Science Center and west of the Space Needle.
When: Through March 14. Weekday performances at 7 p.m.; weekend performances at 2 and 5:30 p.m. ASL interpreted performance on Saturday, March 6 at 2 p.m.
Admission: From $15 for children up to $34 for adults, depending on the day and time of the show. Discounts for groups of 10 or more are available by calling the Group Sales Office at 206–859-4054. The Children's Theater recommends this production for children ages 8 and up (3rd grade and older) due to the sophistication of the storytelling structure and style, coupled with some darker, frightening characters and situations.
