REVIEW: Exit the King

I love musical theatre; it’s a passion. To be honest, seeing a non-musical is not always something that I look forward to – especially an absurdist play by Eugene Ionesco.

But when the elements of a play work, they really work. Exit the King at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre really works. This theatrical brilliance is the result of collaboration between Geoffrey Rush and Neil Armfield who share credit for adapting Ionesco’s weighty text. Armfield also directs the production, and Rush takes a star turn as the ill-fated King Berenger. Berenger has single-handedly run his country into the ground—several wars have been lost, the environment is suffering, the country is in financial ruins and yet he refuses to acknowledge any of it.

Geoffrey Rush is a brilliant actor. His King Berenger is self-absorbed, demanding, and pathetically tragic. He attacks this role with gusto, and the result is a theatrical gift. It is rare to have the opportunity to see an actor of this caliber. His speeches seem like stream of consciousness ranting rather than scripted dialogue, and his physical performance is spontaneous and fresh. Rush dives into the world of Berenger and takes us along; we understand his needs, feel his pain, and ultimately experience his death together.

Rush and Armfield have assembled an all-star cast for this production. The King’s first wife, icy Queen Marguerite is played by Susan Sarandon, and his younger, vibrant and naïve second wife, Queen Marie, is played by Lauren Ambrose. Both talented actors do justice to their roles. Ambrose is wonderful as she flits about the stage doing everything she can to comfort her King and prolong the inevitable. Sarandon takes the opposite approach, portraying her Queen Marguerite as cold, calculating, and impatiently waiting for the King to die.

But the play is not all gloom and doom. Comic relief is provided by a team of supporting cast members lead by Andrea Martin as Juliette, the royal family’s nurse, housekeeper, cook and chief bottle washer. Martin is hysterical as she attempts to cater to the needs of each of her royal subjects.

The role of The Guard is masterfully played by Brian Hutchison who embraces this seemingly minor role and gives us the performance of a true artist. His affected speech pattern and exaggerated interpretation of The Guard captivates the audience. With perfect comic timing, he is responsible for one of the biggest laughs of the night—a moment that broke the concentration of both Sarandon and Ambrose who tried uncomfortably to conceal their laughter.

William Sadler delivers a serviceable performance in the role of The Doctor.

Dale Ferguson, set and costume designer, has created a simple, functional world for the King’s final hours. The lighting design by Damien Cooper illustrates Berenger’s angst as lights suspended over the audience pulse along with the King’s final heartbeats. John Rodgers, composer, provides a score so subtle and film-like that, if not for the live musicians in the Ethel Barrymore box seats, you might not notice it. If it were absent however, you would most definitely miss it.

The two hours between lights up and final bows is pure theatre. This story is masterfully told and brilliantly acted. Every element works in this intimate telling of a King’s final hours. We feel Berenger’s struggle to hold on. We are encouraged when he seems to gain energy. In the show’s final 15 minutes, as Marguerite methodically, patiently, and caringly escorts Berenger to his throne for the last time, we are with him—almost holding our breath as he climbs the stairs. And when he exhales for the last time, we are both relieved and saddened. But most of all, we are exhilarated by the amazing theatrical journey we have just taken.

Exit the King continues an open-ended run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway in New York City.