Absurdist take on fascism is rare beast on London stages

Gleeful non-naturalism, witty physical theatre and tooting kazoos push Rhinoceros’ to great heights

- Alice Saville

The Almeida Theatre, London

Eugene Ionesco’s 1959 absurdist play Rhinoceros has long been seen as an allegory for the rise of fascism, showing how people are gaslighted, coerced and coddled into putting up with a bizarre new status quo. So it would be easy for Omar Elerian's adaptation to play up the obvious Trump parallels. Refreshingly, he hasn’t, instead crafting something that deliberately floats above ugly political realities, buoyant as a child’s balloon.