There are star vehicles, and then there’s “The Diary of a Madman,” which is like a gold-plated, diamond-encrusted Ferrari for Geoffrey Rush.
And the Australian actor — a leading contender for an Oscar for “The King’s Speech,” a Tony winner for 2009’s “Exit the King” — definitely delivers. His performance in this beautifully directed and designed show is spellbinding, even staggering.
Adapted from a Gogol short story about a small-time office clerk’s plunge into insanity, “The Diary of a Madman” requires nothing less than a virtuoso turn to work at all. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, the main character zigzags between emotions and moods, and he’s alone onstage most of the time. (Yael Stone provides solid support in three small parts.)
Unsurprisingly, this was a career-making show for Rush and director Neil Armfield back in 1989. We should consider ourselves lucky they’ve brought their revival from Sydney to BAM.
The play’s essentially a series of monologues in the form of journal entries that track one man’s deteriorating psyche.
Strapped into a tight, threadbare suit, his orange hair looking like a clown’s mangy wig and his eyes lined in blue shadow, Aksentii Poprishchin is all bouncy energy. Rush has said his portrayal was partly inspired by Daffy Duck, and in the first act he proves a master of manic slapstick — brilliantly complemented by two live musicians.
At first, Poprishchin merely seems like a fussy, eccentric bachelor. Sure, he overhears dogs talking to each other, but Rush’s over-the-top comic antics suggest only a hyperactive imagination.
Except Poprishchin is serious about those canine chats: “Determined to see Fifi and cross-examine her,” he announces intently. Next thing we know, he believes he’s the king of Spain. The end, when it comes, feels inevitable, and it is harrowing.
To suggest this mental chaos, Armfield opted for a stylized, deliberately unrealistic approach. Catherine Martin’s attic apartment set is a bold clash of deep reds and greens. Mark Shelton’s lighting creates expressionist shadows that dramatically visualize Poprishchin’s craziness.
In the middle of it all is Rush, imperial and completely in control. Standing ovations feel knee-jerk nowadays, but the one he got the other night was an enthusiastic uprising — and it was richly deserved.