Theatre
Exit The King
Starring Geoffrey Rush as King Berenger
Written by Eugene Ionesco
Directed by Neil Armfield
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE COMPLETED. SEE OTHER REVIEWS FOR AN INDICATION OF MY REVIEW STYLE.
Neil Armfield’s revival of Eugene Ionesco’s ‘Exit the King’ stars the inescapably electric Geoffrey Rush in a powerful rendition of this masterful existential absurdist play. The play delves into the chaotic and whimsical journey of a King in a decaying country who becomes aware of his imminent demise after living for an extraordinary number of years. Russel Goldsmith’s sound design, Damien Cooper’s lighting as well as Dale Ferguson’s set and costume design are remarkably well executed, forming a synergy of theatrical elements that ultimately highlight the intricacies of the performance. In a summary to Absurdism Berenger states “let’s face it, nothings abnormal when abnormal is the new normal”
Rush is simply electric in his mesmerizing portrayal of the egotistically deluded King Berenger. Rush’s adaptability from melodrama to comedy to stark physicalisation is something that film cannot capture. Only seeing Rush up close and intimate can an audience member truly marvel in his acting abilities.
Acting
Put next to the King of the Australian acting world himself, the supporting cast seem strangely out of place and under classed. Billie Brown portrays the doctor with a vindictive yet candid perception upon the King. When the performance shifts to drama through its diverse theatrical style Rebecca Massey as Queen Marie is at times emotionally overly melodramatic, but finds some depth by the end of the second Act through the exploration of the relationship between her and the King. Julie Forsyth’s portrayal of Juliette is precise and her physicalisation and calm, almost innocent demeanour adds a stark contrast to the other overbearing personalities in the performance. David Woods’s Knight is comedic in consistently announcing inappropriate pronouncements, “his majesty is pointing out that the weather is a bit under the weather”, indeed to stand as still as Woods does in the performance is a feat in itself! Unfortunately Gillian Jones fails to elicit much life from Queen Marguerite, the ruthlessly malicious older Queen to Berenger. It is uncertain as to whether or not Jones chose to make the character detached and separated, as all that was seen was a disconnected actor. In the majority of the first act the actor’s vocal variation and vivacity was lacking. Though she does redeem her presence in the final moments of the play. As Berenger makes the final steps towards his end, the audience is told that his senses are fading, with them the stage around him also does. Marguerite narrates Berenger’s movements through a now echoed microphone, giving the illusion that the characters are now transfixed in another realm and reality altogether and separate from the audience. Indeed all characters around the King begin to leave, with a smog of smoke from the floor panels and an eerie sound effect, each character begins to make their leave from Berenger’s life. The disappearance of the characters presenting existential ponderings about death. As the King dies (the individual) those around them die due to the quashing of that individual’s reality, to them everything becomes nothingness.
The Queen then strips King Berenger of his royal items, with both Jones and Rush exemplifying fantastic physicalised mime. These movements corresponding with soft cymbals. Behind the characters the tapestries begin to fall, while Rush struggles to maintain his balance walking across the royal carpet as if it is a tight rope, with Jones standing behind instructing him. The lighting is hazy the sounds are murky and abstract. All these theatrical elements create an airy reality, the moments before Berenger’s own death.
In a memorable scene that sees Berenger stripped of his power, Rush demonstrates his spectacularly executed eclectic acting style. Berenger first loses power over the Knight who digressed into comedically speaking nonsensical gibberish with a pearly white smile. The cleaner interjects “Sire the army has been paralysed”. Berenger becomes chaotically worried, questioning the Knight, “What are you some type of pewter limited edition action figure?”. The King then in a scuffle falls over, with peculiar trumpets accompanying his action and in a lightning bolt movement, his crown falls to which Berenger quivers “Oh my that’s a bad sign”. Berenger becomes increasingly frustrated, “what is all this voodoo?” and in a series of impressively executed scenes, tries to reclaim his foregone power. Rush exclaims, his gestures and mannerisms becoming fittingly agitated, “I order trees to sprout through the floor! I order the rood to disappear” of course Berenger asks of things to happen that any King would not have power over. Berenger’s seeming God-complex allows for a greater character development as he is inevitably shut down to the realisation of his own humanity through his eventual demise. This downward slope is physically seen through Rush’s change in stature and speech. His voice becoming softer, older and at the same time younger and less refined. Originally being slurred and confident, by the end of the play Berenger is a decrepitly balding individual. Berenger’s line “I want to be a baby, what’s 2 and 2?” reflects the King’s facade of cowardness. Juliette’s condescending tone in answering, “2 and 2 makes 4” re-assures the audience of the environment the King has become a product of. Rush’s changes in the persona of Berenger are close to perfection.
Stage
The overall usage of set and staging of the performance was carried out effectively. The set is not overly cluttered and is dynamic enough for cast interaction. The positioning of an authentic looking throne, royal carpet, tapestries, red couch and several other elements all contribute to the image of Berenger’s self centred life, his throne being considerably bigger than his two Queen’s who have small stools.
The thrust stage juts into the audience ultimately implicating them into a performance that is aware that it is just that. In Brechtian fashion, Queen Marguerite tells her King “you’re going to die in one and a half hours, your going to die at the end of the play”. Constant comedic references to the hourglass of Berenger’s life keep the alienation effect rolling, with the Queen stating “1 hour 24 minutes 49 seconds, you will be dead”. Rush’s interplay with the audiences was also memorable, when Rush is being cared after in the wheelchair he is given a “soakie” (hot waterbottle), he then proceeds to drink it and spits it out stating “I wish I hadn’t done that” and to the audience member […]sorry about the splash that’s what happens when you get overexcited and book early”. Tongue and cheek references are given to Aussie King’s own when he states “I like my exile, I’m an expatriate, I can’t go back” Other comedic references by the support cast are seen at the end of Act 1 where the Knight announced “interval”, all the actors then scurry offstage in different directions. So to, after interval the players come back on stage and exclaim “Act 2 begins!”
Berenger’s lines “I’m like an actor who doesn’t know his lines and it’s the opening act, it’s like public speaking, I don’t know all these people” further allow audiences to understand the nature of the performance.
Lighting was not overused and was utilised at the right junctures. One memorable scene sees all the characters run around the space to flickering lights. The use of sounds were apt and eerie.
The costumes worn by the characters are reminiscent of a period piece.
The Queens wear elaborate dresses and jewellery, with capes, Marguerrite wearing black and green, Marie wearing innocent white contrasting to the sexual connotations of much of the interplay between Rush and Marie. Rush wears a crown with cape, carries a sceptre and wears pyjamas underneath.
Other scenes.
When the Knight gives his memorandum to Berenger, he passionately states that Berenger “stole fire from the Gods and with that he was ready to rock”. The Knight attributes Berenger to inventing the telephone, wheelbarrow and many other inventions of the twentieth century. He then explains that Shakespeare was a mere moniker that Berenger wrote under during the sixteenth century. Berenger still with life invested in him, waves his hand at the Knight instructing him to silence.
In a pre-death scene, the Knight constantly announces that “The King is dead” “The King is alive”, with Rush rolling around the stage trying to live, interchanging “Alive, dead, alive, dead, alive!”
The absolute truth of this absurdist play can be contested, but it seems to be not taking life for granted. Marguerrite explains to Berrenger that he has consistently put off thinking of his death throughout his life. It is only at the realisation of death that Berenger becomes solely concerned with his legacy and how he will be remembered. His court tells him to leave them in charge of his legacy, explaining that they will attribute a profound quote said by someone else to him. In one scene the King states “No, there isn’t enough moping!” The Knight and Queen Marie now all crowd around Berenger crying and wailing about his imminent death. Berenger states “I want to be remembered in the end of time, after the end of time”. The King then speaks to Juliette “go quickly kill the two spiders in my room; I don’t want them to survive me […] wait! Don’t kill them; there might be some of me in them!” in a poetic conversation, Berenger finally opens up to another individual, Juliette. He asks her about her job, using his sceptre as a microphone, to which she philosophically states “life isn’t beautiful, but its life”
When Rush traverses the entire length of the audience, he tells the audience “all you countless millions who have died, let your example let me pass through”. The Court tries to rally the audience to support the King’s journey into the unknown.
