Preview: Rhinoceros

UEA’s Minotaur Theatre Company have had a fantastically successful year, and Eugene Ionesco’s ‘Rhinoceros’ will, this week, be their last play before 2013’s Autumn term. The Tab met with directors Poppy Pedder and Sophie Greenham to discuss the play, in which the residents of a quaint, 1950s French village are, to the protagonist’s surprise, all turning into Rhinoceroses.

Tab: So is the play actually all about Rhinos?

Sophie: The whole Rhinoceritis thing, people transforming into Rhinoceroses, is used more as a metaphor for conformity. The fact that it’s rhinoceroses is the Surreal, Absurd aspect of it.

Tab: It can’t be easy to stage. Has that been a problem or a part of the appeal?

Poppy: It’s definitely part of the appeal. We’ve got papier-mâché rhino heads upstairs. They’re looking really good. Staging-wise, the first act is a lot more silly than the second act. It gets a lot darker. We’ve got such good sound effects. It’s really terrifying. And all the lighting has helped to bring out the dark, sinister stuff in it, by the end of the play anyway.

Sophie: There are so many stage directions about rooms caving in and buildings falling down and obviously you can’t do that. It’s quite difficult in that sense.

Poppy: It’s quite fun trying to, not cheat it –

Sophie: Trying to think of ways to solve it.

Poppy: There’s one character in one scene who does sort of turn into a rhino on stage… it’s more about the physicality than anything. We’ve had to play about a bit.

Tab: How are you hoping the audience will respond to an Absurd play?

Poppy: Well again, it is very silly but it’s also just so, so witty. And it’s not just sort of one dimensionally Absurd. All the characters resonate with real people that you know and the issues really are timeless. I think the script is so clever, there’s so much in it… it’s got a really good heart to it.

Sophie: I remember when I saw it, I came out I just felt like my mind had been completely boggled by it.

Tab: So you want to boggle in turn?

Sophie: I think so. I just hope people don’t come out – I mean obviously it is really funny – but I hope people don’t just come out thinking ‘Oh it’s funny, people turning into rhinos.’

Poppy: It’s really heart-breaking by the end.

Tab: Do you think it’s going to be a memorable one? Should Rhinoceros stand out from previous Minotaur productions?

Poppy: Minotaur hasn’t put on sort of an Absurdist – a play like this – in a long time. The main character Berenger… he’s very naturalistic, a character you just adore. And James Ferguson is doing such a good job with it.

Sophie: He’s naturally adorable.

Poppy: A human puppy.

Tab: Would you say Rhinoceros has been one of your favourite shows that you’ve been involved in at university?

Sophie: Definitely, yeah. With the particular translation… it’s one of my favourite plays.

Poppy: Yeah it’s probably in my top three favourites of all time. It’s just really good, and everyone in it’s really good so come and see it!

Rhinoceros will be performed at 7.30 PM from Thursday February 28 to Saturday March 2 in the Drama Studio. Tickets are £4 for students and £6 for adults.