NY1 Theater Review: "Diary of A Madman"
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Geoffrey Rush already has a Tony, an Emmy and an Academy Award and he's up for another Oscar this weekend for his work in "The King's Speech." But the big screen isn't the only place you can catch this talented performer's work. He's currently starring in a production of "The Diary of a Madman" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. NY1’s Roma Torre filed the following review.The first and only other time Geoffrey Rush graced a New York stage, he earned a much deserved Tony award for his starring role in “Exit The King.” He is back in the city delivering another extraordinary performance, this time in "Diary of a Madman" at Brooklyn's BAM.
We all know Rush is a great actor, but as a crazy man, he's sheer genius.
Like “Exit The King,” "Madman", (based on a story by 19th century Ukrainian born Russian writer Nikolai Gogol), mixes absurdism and tragedy. The staging aims for a stylized vaudeville effect, enabling Rush to tap into his vast well of talent. Here he's right at home conjuring up the most outrageously funny shtick. And yet, there's much more to this play than virtuoso clowning.
The story concerns a downtrodden Russian civil servant with a diminishing hold on reality. Poprishchin lives in a dreary garret in St. Petersburg where he's barely more than a pencil pusher. In fact his job is to sharpen the quills of his boss's pens.
He's visited from time to time by a young Finnish maid who cleans and brings him soup. With each entry in his diary, we discover what seems like inconsequential details of a lonely life...he has a crush on his supervisor's daughter and he despises his boss. But it soon becomes clear he's drifting into madness.
A chilling sequence involves his reading from what he believes are letters written by a pair of dogs. And before long in a harrowing scene he's taken off to an asylum.
Adapted by David Holman with director Neil Armfield and Rush, "Madman" is astonishing in its range but also a tad over-indulgent. Ideally the play, which can feel monotonous, should be a one-act. Still it's a triumph in most respects.
The brazen direction and technical designs set the tone brilliantly. Alan John's music, performed by a terrifically versatile duo provides a foreboding whimsy; and Yael Stone as the maid makes a charming match for her incomparably gifted co-star.
At some point Poprishchin believes he's the King of Spain. Royalty seems to be a recurring theme in Rush's career. How fitting for an actor who utterly rules the stage.