Dastardly dictator is a must-see
The President, Gate Theatre until March 24 Verdict: Bracing triumph ★★★★☆
‘EVERYTHING is torture, ambition, hate’: aA searing commentary on the catastrophic effects of untold power and privilege, Thomas Bernhard’s The President is a hauntingly apt depiction of a deeply divided society on the brink of revolution.
First produced for Austrian and German stages in 1975, this high-intensity translation follows the corrupt dictator and his wife at the centre of the state’s dissolution — a deplorable ensemble who prove their compatibility with a shared proclivity for adultery and an exaggerated sense of self at unprecedented levels.
With its reflective qualities transcending the boundaries of the mirrored set design, First Lady played by Olwen Fouéré exposes the volatility of her environment as she effortlessly launches into a frenzied stream of consciousness while lamenting the untimely death of her pet, following the incidental assassination of her husband’s faithful bodyguard.
Hugo Weaving’s captivating performance as the vicious tyrant — who idolises politics above all else, invalidates the arts and holds the dangerous belief that his country is too undeserving of his greatness — is wholly captivating albeit deeply unsettling. His character’s penchant for referring to his mistress, played by Kate Gilmore, as ‘my child’ during his lengthy tirades manages to be almost as unnerving as director Tom Creed’s masterful ability to create unrelenting sense of trepidation.
The tension on and off stage mounts as adversaries who are branded as ‘anarchists’ close in on the palace and one by one, more of those in positions of power suffer the same fate as the bodyguard.
Trapped in the confines of wilful ignorance and megalomania, the recipient of the presidential couple’s overt brutishness is their lowly maid Mrs Frolick — with Julie Forsyth delivering a mostly silent yet eerily impactful performance as she brushes the First Lady’s hair, massages her shoulders and puts the President’s trousers on for him.
With the two main characters almost continuously in a state of hysterics, the suitably regal surroundings of the Gate Theatre serve as an ideal host for this polished theatrical experience, especially the impressive chandeliers of the almost century-old building which play a compelling role in this tremendous melodrama.
The President’s pared-back yet effective stage production provides a clear window into the grossly out-of-touch and self-absorbed turbulent existence of the presidential pair in the face of their imploding regime.
Permeated by moments of wry wit, this unflinching stage performance of avalanchestyle monologues quickly unveils itself as a stylish and considered examination of the corruption of power in a play that doesn’t seem too divorced from reality or possibility in this modern age.
In a spectacularly executed conclusion that is equal parts bewildering and exhilarating, The President holds up a multifaceted mirror to its viewer as it cements the importance of the arts through the lens of a character who is so at odds with his value in society.