Latest news with #Berenger
The Guardian
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Rhinoceros review – Ionesco's absurdist classic is taken around the horn
Omar Elerian clearly has an aptitude, and appetite, for European absurdism. The director and translator staged an impeccable revival of Eugène Ionesco's The Chairs three years ago at the Almeida, complete with the masterstroke casting of husband-and-wife duo Kathryn Hunter and the late Marcello Magni. Now comes his version of Ionesco's magnum opus about the dangers of conformity. This might or might not be set in Ionesco's provincial French town in which Berenger (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) becomes the hapless witness of a malaise in which humans are turning into rhinoceroses. It is dismally timely in a world of rising rightwing authoritarianism, with its critique of passivity in the face of barbarism and herd-like conformity. But where The Chairs nailed Ionesco's balance between meta-comedy and existentialist dread, this production is not as clever – or rather, it is too clever, teeming with good ideas, but slack in pace and tone. Its look suggests a laboratory experiment, perhaps sending up the logician of the play whose syllogistic reasoning is perversely employed to impede truth. Most of the cast emerge as a lineup of scientists, one of whom calls himself the 'Provocateur' (Paul Hunter) and narrates stage instructions archly. The production encapsulates the spirit of Ionesco's avant-gardism: anti-theatrical, always aware of its construction, and enlisting audience participation from the off, but the mechanics of the storytelling distract from the story itself. Our world is tucked into Ionesco's (with mentions of Gary Lineker, fomo and fake news) but the clinical white set designed by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita allows the audience to project meaning. The danger is that this results in vagueness or abstraction and the play becomes a showcase of form alone. The drama plays out like improv for a while, with actors sometimes raising eyebrows or performing narrated scenarios wryly. Berenger is the only straight man, bewildered but also emphatically playing a part, like the others. Dìrísù deliberately stays at a remove, a blank of a character, but the distancing is so great that you never feel the pervading menace and fear in this town. The audience becomes the animal herd outside; some are given kazoos and instructed to blow every time the rhinoceroses trumpet their growing presence. It is a pantomime sound, absurdist yet not unsettling. Still, there are delightful moments of silliness and some lovely clowning, with Hayley Carmichael and Hunter standing out in a cast that juggles multiple roles. Foley sounds are created along the sides of the stage to the miming of invisible props and furniture, which extend the idea of audience participation to actively imagining a scene. A superb touch comes with a cafe table built out of a tray and tablecloth held by character. An over-active photocopier in the newspaper office scene is superbly conjured with light, sound and mime. But the play is too stretched and the slowness undercuts the sense of stampeding alarm. The transformation of Berenger's friend, Jean (Joshua McGuire, robust), into a rhinoceros brings high-pitched hysteria and comedy yet without ruffling enough feathers. The unravelling of Berenger's office crush, Daisy (Anoushka Lucas), holds greater weight. But the switch to dread never comes, despite the projected close-ups and ominous music. It is a production that has all of Elerian's signature intelligence and playful imagination but is ultimately a reminder of how tricky a play this is, and how form can so easily eclipse content. At the Almeida, London, until 26 April
Telegraph
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Rhinoceros: Clever and playful –but not quite a piece for our times
Ingeniously introducing us to a provincial French town whose inhabitants morph into indomitable rhinos, when Ionesco's Rhinoceros – an allegory of individual defiance in the face of stampeding conformism – premiered in Dusseldorf in 1959, it was met with a widely reported 10-minute ovation. It valuably spoke to a Europe shaken by totalitarian horror, on the Left as well as the Right. At the 1960 London premiere, Laurence Olivier starred as the refusenik clerk Berenger, directed by Orson Welles. The Romanian-French playwright inspired Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill and others. Yet where Rhinoceros once roamed the cultural landscape, eliciting awe, along with the rest of its author's Absurdist oeuvre, these days it can seem a museum piece, a taxidermied classic. At the Royal Court in 2007, Benedict Cumberbatch earned raves playing Berenger but one reviewer noted the play had 'not survived its own occasion'. Has the critic Kenneth Tynan, who accused the 'anarchic wag' of steering drama up a 'blind alley', had the last laugh? Tynan's erudite critique of Ionesco's 'anti-theatre' is actually referenced in this archly self-aware Almeida revival which often has the dependably buffoonish Paul Hunter adopting a wry narratorial role, intoning stage-directions into a microphone and even exhorting some audience participation. Given that the liberty-taking adaptation is by director Omar Elerian, who triumphed here three years ago with a revelatory production of Ionesco's The Chairs, starring the late Marcello Magni and his wife Kathryn Hunter, the production comes armed with a persuasive confidence in its artistic mission. Presented on a minimal, mainly white set (with a raised central platform, rear-curtains, and a lot of lab coats and comically mad hair), the evening has a light, on-its-feet, deconstructed quality, the accent on multi-roling ensemble virtuosity. You don't see rhino-heads and horns sprouting, or even papier-mâché pachyderms. Instead, much is capably conveyed by sound effects (denoting the stampedes) and body language conjures the grim dehumanisation process. Joshua McGuire (big since the BBC sitcom Cheaters) memorably goes to town, contorting and bowing low, with three other cast members following suit to suggest a bestial immensity. Given how apposite the message of the play is – take your pick from the current contagions of group-think – it should straightforwardly map onto today's nightmares and tap lasting truths about human nature. But much as this version punctures the fourth-wall, for me it still lacks real punch. We are rendered complicit by larky stealth: we're asked to practice a convoluted clap that later becomes a slap of domestic violence, and, in a rather I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue flourish, selected audience-members sound on kazoos to evoke rhino roars. But it's too cosy to cause discomfort while a lot of the honoured original text comes over as plutôt wittery. As the odd man Berenger, a gentle, ruminative Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (of Gangs of London fame) comes into his own at the end, appalled as his beloved Daisy (Anoushka Lucas) starts to follow the herd before standing his ground and repeatedly bellowing 'I will not surrender' despite an attempted curtain-call around him. Still, it's the stuff of appreciative applause, and ticked-off checklists, not headline-making ovations.
Associated Press
13-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Ken Berenger Joins American Stories Entertainment Advisory Board To Build Streaming Leader
Stars Don Mann, Sheriff Mark Lamb & Dr. Jenn Stankus with special guest Randy Couture & producers on the set of Surviving Mann: All-Stars Season 3 American Stories Entertainment (ASE) has appointed Ken Berenger to its Board of Advisors to drive growth in the broadcast and streaming space. Berenger, a proven capital-raiser and strategist, will help expand ASE's production slate. As President of Takeoff Services, he has secured major investments, including $12M for Water On Demand™. His expertise aligns with ASE's mission to deliver high-energy, unscripted content across major platforms. Visit Proven Capital Raiser Joins Strong Production Team in Proven Hit Formula American Stories Entertainment (ASE), the production company behind the hit TV series Surviving Mann – now in its fourth season, has announced the addition of Ken Berenger to its Board of Advisors. Berenger, a proven capital-raiser and strategic leader, will play a key role in expanding ASE's production slate and further solidifying its position as a dominant force in streaming television. 'We are thrilled to welcome Ken Berenger to the ASE team,' said Robert Cefail, President of American Stories Entertainment. 'His expertise in investment strategy and business growth aligns perfectly with our mission to create premium, high-energy content that resonates with audiences worldwide.' As President and Co-Founder of Takeoff Services, Berenger has been instrumental in securing development funds for new entertainment projects. His latest venture, The Raise, follows a group of companies navigating their first or next $5 million in funding. The show, co-produced by Takeoff co-founders AJ Fikejs and Riggs Eckelberry, showcases the process of investment from the perspective of everyday investors. More details can be found at With over 30 years of experience spanning banking, investment, corporate finance, and sales force training, Berenger has successfully driven multimillion-dollar investment initiatives. Notably, he co-created and co-chairs Water On Demand™, a breakthrough water asset investment program, which raised $12 million in just 24 months. Berenger's appointment underscores ASE's commitment to accelerating its growth trajectory and expanding its footprint in the broadcast & streaming entertainment industries. As part of his advisory role, he is compensated with fees and options to purchase stock in American Stories Entertainment. American Stories Entertainment (ASE) delivers high-energy, unscripted content that captures the essence of adventure, resilience, and the American dream. From thrilling survival challenges to entrepreneurial success stories, ASE creates action-packed, inspiring entertainment that engages audiences across major broadcast & streaming platforms. Email: Send Email City: Clearwater State: Florida Country: United States
