Forty-five years after the end of its broadcast on Télé-Métropole, “Symphorien” returns funnier than ever, at the Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne until August 14.

As soon as the curtain opens, spectators will be surprised to find a setting similar to that of the mythical TV series. The entrance door adorned with its colored stained glass windows, the staircase leading to the bedrooms, the small round table in the middle of the hall and the living room with its washbasin are identical. It feels like being back in 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 a 270th episode in the saga.

We find on stage the colorful characters who populated the rooming house of Madame Sylvain (Michelle Labonté) where Symphorien (François Chénier) works as a concierge, always flanked by his brother Éphrem (Martin Héroux).

While the handsome doctor Jetté is back at the pension, Mademoiselle L'Espérance (Nathalie Mallette) remains an old maid and despairs of finding love, even if Oscar Bellemare (Patrice Coquereau), the king of funeral directors, is still courting her. so assiduously despite his back pain.

Madame Sylvain, for her part, maintains an ambiguous relationship with the Curé of Dolbeau, a former childhood sweetheart, while the surly Agathe Lamarre, Symphorien's mother-in-law, settles at home with her cat, following liposuction on her legs. .

As in the TV series, the plot is thin and we stay in the simple and basic pun festival, but which works every time. “You have good working conditions. You get paid on the condition that you work!”, “We can’t afford to be poor” or even “I would drink milk when the cows eat grapes” are among the memorable lines of the evening.

The interest of this production lies above all in the exceptional acting of the actors, who have understood the essence of the original series. Nathalie Mallette embodies a Mademoiselle L'Espérance, more libidinous than ever, with a perfect sense of timing. Each of his appearances is tasty.

Patrice Coquereau also gives an incredible performance as much in the burlesque of Oscar Bellemare as in the hilarious features of Agathe Lamarre, to whom he gives an even more acrimonious and revengeful character.

As for François Chénier, he is simply astounding in resemblance to Gilles Latulippe, who gave his features to this character in the series. Everything is there, the gait, the habit of rocking on his feet, his hands in his pockets, his gestures to the way he speaks.

The staging of Louis Saia and Pierre Seguin is effective and without downtime, even if sometimes the story stretches a little in length.

Nostalgics will fully find their account, the youngest or those who have not experienced the series will be dazzled by so much talent.

The theater play “Symphorien” is certainly a summer must-see.