Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
MAKER – Rhinoseros Puppets/Masks & Props
Play by Eugène Ionesco
Adapted by Manon Steffan Ros
Directed by Steffan Donnelly
Set and Costume by Cai Dyfan
Lighting by Ceri James
Movement direction by Catherine Alexander
Production Photographs by Mark Douet
The first Welsh adaptation of Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros which toured Wales in the fall of 2023.
The play is a post-war absurdist drama about a small town whose residents become rhinoceroses. The story revolves around the character, Bérenger, who the townspeople view as a lazy alcoholic. However, as more people become a rhinoceros, Bérenger’s paranoia worsens to the point that he is the only one left who retains his identity and is not metamorphized. The play explores many themes including conformity, responsibility, mob mentality, hatred, and extremism.
MAKING PROCESS
Seven rhino masks were made from Worbla (thermal plastic) and cotton dust sheets. Every effort was made to be more sustainable in the making process including sculpting from clay, creating a mold with latex and plaster and rendering with hessian and concentrated acrylic paint.
Props made included a dead “pancaked” cat, a ramming horn, and several small prosthetic horns.
