It says something about national cultures that the French equivalent of The Mousetrap is Eugène Ionesco’s short play, The Lesson. It has been running at Théâtre de la Huchette in Paris since 1951, and is as far from the contained, comforting threat of Agatha Christie as drama has to offer.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: The Chairs at the Almeida Theatre
Emma Clarendon rounds up the reviews for Omar Elerian’s revival of Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist comedy The Chairs. Real-life husband and wife Marcello Magni and Kathryn Hunter star.
‘There’s something directly compelling & disturbing here’: THE LESSON – Hope Theatre
You ignore what Ionesco has to teach us in The Lesson at your peril – the Hope Theatre is onto another winner here with a strong in-house production.
‘Weirdly unfunny for something billed as a comedy’: EXIT THE KING – National Theatre
Adapted from Eugene Ionesco’s French absurdist comedy by Patrick Marber (who also directs), Exit the King, in a nutshell, tells the story of the death of the titular King, who’s told he must die and then does, in real time. It’s no more interesting than I’ve made it sound.
‘A striking, sideways examination of death’: EXIT THE KING – National Theatre
And as an absurdist drama, Exit the King suggests a bit of different thinking. On the face of it, it’s a simple enough tale – a man is told he only has a day left to live and struggles to deal with it.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Exit the King at the National Theatre
Patrick Marber directs Rhys Ifans in this new production of Exit the King. Here Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews…
‘Patrick Marber directs with skill in an engaging production’: EXIT THE KING – National Theatre
Patrick Marber’s engaging production of Exit the King builds on the central strangeness of Ionesco’s work, attempting to break down our ongoing battle with the idea of death and why no one wants to face it until they have to.
NEWS: National Theatre season features UK premiere of Anaïs Mitchell musical & Patrick Marber version of Exit the King
Details have been released of the National Theatre’s season from May to September 2018. Highlights include the Uk premiere of Hadestown, with music, lyrics and book by Anaïs Mitchell, the return of Follies and Patrick Marber’s new version of Eugène Ionesco’s Exit the King.
RHINOCEROS – Edinburgh International Festival ★★★★
Wild: The EIF’s Rhinoceros is a thoroughly contemporary take on a modern classic, combining knockabout comedy with a deep consideration of human society.