A ROYAL KING
From the moment Irish actor extraordinaire Pat Kinevane appears out of the darkness as if in a dream, his lithe body moving as seductively as a snake into a sexy Argentine Tango, you will be entranced to meet Luther, a lonely Elvis Impersonator looking for love in all the wrong places. Taking place in his dark apartment with very little furniture — which almost seems as if it’s Luther’s own, private insane asylum — Kinevane takes us on an impactful journey through the life of this mentally challenged man in his latest solo show King, during which Luther’s lifelong memories motivate him to keep on going because things have “just got to get better.” And that is all any of us can hope for during these confusing times.
Kinevane’s riveting performance is accentuated by his beautifully artistic movements, thanks to choreographers Kristina Chaloir and Julian Brigatti, highlighted by attention-grabbing lighting design by Puis McGrath and Katelan Braymer, and sound by composer Denis Clohessy, all of which will make you want to learn as much as you can about this lost soul longing for the personal attachment which has eluded him for years. In fact, there is a scene where he begs his own shadow to hug him and never let go, brilliantly staged by director Jim Culleton against a wall which brings his shadow out from the imaginary into a real person for a few moments.
Luther shares many poignant memories and mementoes from his much-beloved Granny Bee Baw, along with not so happy memories about his parents. Resenting the loss of both Granny Bee Baw and his mother, who deeply cared for him, he is often interrupted — much to his dismay — by phone calls from a hospice nurse about his elderly, ill father. Like the caring soul he is, Luther diligently visits his father daily for as little time as possible since, most days, dementia has robbed his father of any memory of him. Luther does this despite his hatred for the man, perhaps taking some enjoyment from his father’s sad state of existence.
Luther’s life has been like a mad tango between his memoires and longing for the deep personal connection missing from his life. With his skillful ability to use every muscle in his body to perfect emotional response, Kinevane will so captivate you from moment-to-moment during the 80-minute show that I guarantee Luther will be just as real to you as the actor himself when you meet him after the performance.
Known to pick an audience member into responding directly to him during each performance, I was lucky to be the one selected on the night I attended. Thus, as the show went on, I was addressed by name about my opinion on my own state of comfort on whatever topic was being discussed, or even asked for just a “Yes” or “No” several times. The whole experience kept me on my toes, paying strict attention to whatever was being said just in case Kinevane decided to ask me about it.
No doubt both Kinevane and Culleton think very visually about telling a story, concentrating on expressing it through dance, movement, and music as well as words. Even while performing the most mundane of daily tasks, such as mopping the floor (using the mop handle as a microphone or a tango partner) or ironing a shirt, moments of great physical beauty happen thanks to Kinevane’s ability to capture intense emotional pain and pleasure with the mere flip of his head, arm or leg, as well as his rubbery facial expressions used to the fullest during his intensely angry outbursts.
Including Before, Silent, Underneath, and Forgotton, King is the fifth solo show from Kinevane and Culleton under the banner of Fishamble, the Dublin-based company that discovers, develops, and produces new plays of national importance, taking its productions on international tours. And thankfully, their partnership of 18 years shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, after performing a seven-week run Off-Broadway in New York, Kinevane flew to Los Angeles and immediately began his opening weekend of performances at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A. And lucky for us Angelenos, the Odyssey has become the home for Kinevane on the West Coast during his tours. I strongly encourage you to catch every one of them for as long as he brings his soul-searching physical magic to the Odyssey stage.
photos by Maurice Gunning
poster image by Leo Byrne and Publicus
King
Fishamble (produced by Cally Shine)
Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
recommended for ages 14 and up
Thurs-Sat at 8; Sun at 2
ends on May 5, 2024
for tickets ($15-$35; Pay-What-You-Can on Fridays), call 310.477.2055 or visit Odyssey Theatre
