EXIT THE KING

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The once great King Berenger the First is 400 years old, on his last legs and ruling over a decaying kingdom. Now the party is over and the end is nigh.

in his youth he reigned over millions of subjects, battled thousands of enemies, single-handedly split the atom and invented the car. He even controlled the weather. But now the heater is broken, the cows have stopped producing milk and the sun is late. While his two queens bicker about whether he should be made aware of his imminent demise, it is clear that Berenger won’t surrender without a fi ght. But the fact is, this is the last day of his life and the end of the play could mean the end of everything.

ionesco’s darkly hilarious and sparklingly witty comedy makes fun of all the things that tragedy usually takes seriously.

Eugène ionesco was one of the greatest innovators in European drama. His incomparable works include The Chairs, Rhinoceros and The Bald Soprano and he infl uenced a generation of playwrights.

Jeremy Sams is an award-winning director, writer, translator, orchestrator, musical director, fi lm composer and lyricist. His many translations include Les Parents Terribles, The Miser and Mary Stuart for the National Theatre and The Threepenny Opera for the Donmar Warehouse.

Exit the King

Photo credit: Cherry Harrison