Family can be exasperating, but sometimes it’s the only thing we’ve got. Banished by the King’s second production as a company in residence at the Palace Theatre delves into relationships that are just as messy as they are real. Watch what ends up being the world’s weirdest birthday party in Rat King, a new play written by Sean Brennan. Get your tickets before it closes on Nov. 16!
After an accident causes him to develop amnesia, Jimmy (Matt Butler) can’t remember a lot, including his own birthday. His dedicated yet overworked brother, Chris (Andrew Dodd), cares for him while their sister, Julie (Sophie Thompson), prioritizes her family in Toronto.
When the siblings reunite for Jimmy’s birthday, tensions run high before the party even starts. The guest list also includes Jimmy's ex-girlfriend, Nellie (Jesslyn Hodgson), and his best friend Dave (Jayden Rogers), who escaped unharmed from the same accident that altered Jimmy’s life.
Rat King welcomes the audience into this complex web of relationships before promptly dropping a bomb in the middle of it. Characters from a shady corner of Jimmy’s past storm onto the scene demanding answers that he can’t give. Strained relationships are thrown into a pressure cooker, and the result is drama, tension, humour, and heart.
Shows in the Palace's Procunier Hall combine the magic of live theatre with a closeness usually only found on TV screens. An immersive set invites the audience into the basement where Jimmy spends his time playing Xbox, belting along to The Tragically Hip, and forgetting what he’s doing. Every seat in the house brings viewers close enough to catch every detail of the cast’s nuanced performances. This intimacy is essential for a show so focused on relationships.
Rat King deals delicately and authentically with a host of difficult situations—most strikingly with the ways that becoming a caretaker changes a family’s structure. Chris’ frustration is raw and realistic, while Julie’s biting arguments capture sibling dynamics at their most brutal. Caught in the middle, Jimmy's confusion often feels painfully young, highlighting the unique loss of watching someone forget themselves.
Although its subject gets heavy, Rat King expertly balances drama with humour. Every time the plot escalates, it also raises the situation to a new level of absurdity. In the midst of serious circumstances, much of Rat King’s comedy comes from familiarity, not only of character types but also of time and place.
Set in London in 2018, the script includes iconic touchstones for Canadian audiences and London locals especially. The hostage holdup takes a brief intermission to watch Tessa and Scott, there are heated debates about the best pizza joint in town, and the Oxbury Mall Burger King is vetoed as a date spot. These moments of recognition are not only fun for the audience, but they also add to the authenticity of Rat King’s world.
As for the curious title, rat kings are a phenomenon where a group of rats’ tails become knotted together. Unable to escape, they eventually starve to death. It’s a fitting metaphor for this collection of characters who are trapped by one other and trapped by themselves, tangled up in mistakes, the past, and pride. The question is whether they’ll free themselves or die trying.
Don’t miss the wild ride that is Rat King! Tickets are on sale now for the final four shows, happening Nov. 14 to 16.
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