Exit the King

Exit the King

Reviewed by Cindy Nemser

Anyone who is mesmerized by wrenching death scenes such as those in such masterpieces as “Buddenbrooks” by Thomas Mann who depicts the agonizing passing of the matriarch Elizabeth the mother of the puritanical head of the family Thomas Buddenbrooks, or in the excruciating demise of the leading character in “The Death of Ivan ilyich” by Leo Tolstoy will find “Exit the King” by Eugene Ionesco totally irresistible. For two hours and twenty-five minutes Berenger the estimable and amazingly energetic Geoffrey Rush, the king, stretches out the author’s vision of the terrible visitation of the grim reaper as his kingdom rapidly disintegrates. As their world falls apart his lovely young second wife Queen Marie (the hyperactive Lauren Ambrose,) prefers to remain in denial believing that she will save him by an act of will. As these two characters fight the onslaught of death, the cynical doctor and priest both played by William Sadler just wish to get their jobs over, and the overworked servant (Andrea Martin) still trudges across the stage muttering complaints. Only his totally spurned first Queen Marguerite (Susan Sarandon) is resigned but still involved as she waits to play her part. It is she who will coax him by her commanding gestures and the calm yet forceful tone of her voice to take the plunge we all must eventually take. He walks through an invisible but fearful door into nothingness.
This absurdist play is basically a one-note pitch-dark comedy, with no plot to speak of. But it has a single compelling terrifying message. That message is totally abhorrent but it is also totally riveting. The reason why we keep on watching Berenger and his cohorts cavil and cavort as every segment of his kingdom, including his territory, his wealth, his servants and finally his two wives, disintegrate is due to the astute translation by Neil Armfield, and Mr. Rush, the bewitching direction Mr. Armfield himself and the terrifying strobe lit scenario by designer Damien Cooper. We are also completely bewitched by the superb acting of the entire cast. Geoffrey Rush outdoes himself as the king who will perform any kind of lunatic behavior, which includes every type of acrobatic stint in order to postpone the inevitable. Lauren Ambrose, his only beloved, counts on her pale skin and golden red hair to shield the king from his fate. She too is frenetic in her movements and frenzied in her words as she determines that her actions will deprive death of his prey for at least a few hundred of years. William Sadler taking his turn at impersonating a doctor and then a priest, simple goes about his business smugly making a cryptic remarks every so often as he attends to his chores, while Andrea Martin maid of all work just complains about her servitude. Ironically it is the majestic Susan Sarandon, the least loved and appreciated by Berenger who slowly and carefully carries him through until the fearful end.
This play is definitely a masterwork, and to my mind infinitely more absorbing that Becket, Pinter or the other absurdist playwrights, but I would only recommend it to those under sixty. At that stage in life death is still an abstraction, something that happens to people much much further advanced in the act of living and much closer to the act of dying. For those past those youthful years, for those who have seen beloved relatives and friends disappear, and feel their bodies fall apart; “Exit the King” no matter how exhilaratingly it is enacted is too depressing and too scary. At my age, 72, well- past the years of believing that death will never come, I recommend a light comedy, “Blythe Spirit” will do (true they all die at the end but they make it so much fun) and suggest that the younger crowd will find the “Exit the King”: much more to their liking.