Le roi se meurt [videorecording] = Der König stirbt / une pièce de Eugène Ionesco ; ARTE France, France 4, Le Théâtre Hébertot, La Compagnie des Indes presentent ; mise en scène Georges Werler.
Michel Bouquet, Juliette Carré, Valérie Karsenti, Jacuqes Echantillon, Jacques Zabor, Natalie Niel. Originally produced in 2005. Special feature: Autour du Roi se meurt (29 min.) / un film de Damian Pettigrew ; production Olivier Gal.
Summary:
"The solipsistic and belligerent King Berenger the First who was apparently at one point able to command nature and force others to obey his will. Also, the king is, according to his first wife, over four hundred years old. He is informed early in the play that he is dying and the kingdom is likewise crumbling around him. He has lost the power to control his surroundings and is slowly losing his physical capabilities as well. Through much of the play he is in denial of his death and refuses to give up power. Berenger's first wife Marguerite, along with the Doctor, tries to make Berenger face the reality of his impending death. Berenger's second wife Marie, sympathetically attempts to keep Berenger from the pain of knowing his death is imminent. The king lapses into Berenger's normal sentimentality and eventually accepts that he is going to die. The characters disappear one by one leaving the king, now speechless, alone with Marguerite who prepares him for the end. Marguerite and then the king disappear into darkness as the play ends"-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_the_King (as viewed on 03/19/2010)
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