Rhinoceros

Synopsis

An absurd classic about a French town where the in inhabitants start turning into rampaging rhinos. Only one man seems to know what's happening. This fable draws parallels with the rise of fascism in middle of the 20th century.

Our Review:

28 September 2007

The renewed interest in what used to be called the Theatre of the Absurd – really just philosophical surrealism – has led the Royal Court’s artistic director, Dominic Cooke, back to one of his theatre’s earliest successes, Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros.

In 1960, Orson Welles directed Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright (Maggie Smith in the West End transfer) in this metaphorical parable about the inhabitants of a provincial French town converting en masse to “rhinoceritis”; they change into rhinos with only Berenger – like some barmy Ibsenite loner – refusing to join in.

Martin Crimp’s new translation signals a test case for lightness of touch in the sombre context of Royal Court social realism and launches a new ensemble to play Ionesco in tandem with Max Frisch’s The Arsonists (another early Court success, better known as The Fire Raisers).

Much of Cooke’s production on a splintering orange box set by [Antho...

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Latest User Review

Joesmith - 10 December 2007:

What is wrong with the critics? This is one of the best shows all year, an astonishing achievement....

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