Type – Independent, Anti-War, Funny & Heartfelt
If you liked – War of the Worlds, Naza
The King Who Was A King: A contemporary reflection on our species’ propensity for war, told with a balanced emotion and surprising humour
As the roof shakes, a cascading waterfall of dirt falls covering the concrete ground of Belvoir’s downstage theatre. Ayah Tayeh‘s adaptation of The King Who Was A King by H.G. Wells emerges from this rubble of war as a beautiful gem of writing – one that is infused with a balanced sense of emotion. One thing I did not expect coming in however was the naturally presented comedy in the piece that Tayeh’s brings as both writer and director.
Originally written by Wells in 1929 as a film that was not picked up by any producer of the time, he turned it instead into a book. Here, Tayeh exhumes the text from underneath the piles of Wells’ other famed stories and reimagines it as a stage play, one that hopefully can reach an attentive audience. Wells’ texts show his fascination on humanity’s penchant for war, such was his context with the world still revelling in life after The Great War before unknowingly standing on the precipice of ecnomic collapse.
Tayeh’s King is a perfect study of context. Any English teachers reading, make this part of a module for study! Tayeh see Wells’ original book as a writer both wanting to grapple with a way to end war, but also as a writer fascinated with the different modes of storytelling. As the embodiment of H.G. Wells in Tayeh’s adaptation Marco Chiappi is a commanding presence with a rumbling baritone and sharp, dry humour. His Wells ensures we are following in his argument, playing storyteller, performer, and lecturer at the same time.
Around him, an ensemble of players (Violette Ayad, Toby Carey, Meg Hyeronimus, Brittany Santariga, and Harry Stacey) bring to life the characters from Wells’ novel. But there’s an interesting layer that Tayeh lays as the foundation to King – one which pays off at the play’s end. While Wells manouvers his players around the space in his desperate attempt to convey his answer for war, underneath is the real cost of life; those displaced and those left behind.
Bronte Hunt‘s minimalistic set design sees territories mapped out on the black brick alongside interconnecting maps, like a star system, and a chalk-drawn three stage repetition of the journey of war. Travis Kecek‘s lighting too is kept minimal and purposefully understated. There’s no overly flashy random dance sequences thrown in for interest, no pulsating colours. Instead, a simple white wash, creating space, light and shadow creates the journey. Beneath it, Daniel Herten‘s sound design reverberates the grumbles of an unseen battle, whilst complimenting the understatement that is kept consistent throughout.
In my own personal journey with the production, I feel as though I need to see this version of King again. In the journey of the two fictionalised lands which the plot follows, the underlying symbolism of invasions and wars was one I felt I was purposefully trying to connect the dots to.
There is an undeniable association with Palestine, Israel, Iran, Ukraine, Russia at play here, but I spent too much time trying to see that symbolism that I instead missed some of the larger messages that were laid out. The names, places and interconnections of time and space can sometimes be difficult to follow smoothly, but there is a swift, yet steady pace which keeps it all together to carry you along.
Violette Ayad’s final scene in the piece rounds out King as one of the most earnest bits of storytelling you’ll see this year. It’s not played for trauma, nor is it played to be emotionally manipulative for the audience. Instead Ayad gives a purpose to the reason we’re here, combating Chiappi’s Wells in his blinding drive for an answer.
Is The King Who Was A King worth seeing in Sydney?
In a world where one culture or religion is seemingly allowed to be given more opportunities to be shown on Australian stages than another, The King Who Was A King is a must-see piece of independent theatre. Not just for its inherent importance in its being programmed, but for a storytelling-led human discussion on the cycle of war.
As the genocide of Palestinians continues to occur overseas and is pushed out of the headlines to make way for right-wing extremism on home soil, theatre like this is important now more than ever. One can only hope that more shows like this are programmed across Australian stages and more spaces for writers like Ayah Tayeh to continue developing their craft.
Tickets and Practical Info for The King Who Was A King in Sydney 🎟️
Venue: Downstairs Theatre
Dates: 1-22 Nov 26
Duration: 75 minutes (no interval)
Cast
Violette Ayad
Toby Carey
Marco Chiappi
Meg Hyeronimus
Brittany Santariga
Harry Stacey
Creatives
H.G. Wells – Original Book Author
Ayah Tayeh – Adapter & Director
Saint Clair – Assistant Director
Bronte Hunt – Set Designer
Andrea Knezevic – Costume Designer
Travis Kecek – Lighting Designer
Daniel Herten – Composer & Sound Designer
Patrick Klavins – Voice and Dialect Coach
Talia Benatar -Producer
Bayley Prendergast -Producer
Patrick Phillips – Producer
Archer Dametto -Stage Manager
Holly Nesbitt -Associate Lighting Designer
Chaii Ki Chapman- Associate Sound Designer
Braeden Caddy- Rehearsal Room Cover
