One man stand against beastly neighbours

In Eugene Ionesco’s classic play, Rhinoceros, the hero must resist succumbing to the law of the jungle, says Colette Sheridan

A PLAY about mass hysteria and the danger of conformity runs at Cork City’s Everyman Palace Theatre, from Feb 20-25. Sligo-based Blue Raincoat Theatre Company is performing playwright Eugene Ionesco’s classic absurdist play, Rhinoceros, as part of a national tour. In the past, the company has brought Ionesco’s play, The Bald Soprano, to the venue.

Director, Niall Henry, says the Romanian-French Ionesco’s work is challenging. In Rhinoceros, the inhabitants of a small French town turn into rhinoceroses, apart from one character, Berenger, who clings to his humanity.