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Company B and Malthouse Melbourne’s Exit the King has received four 2009 Tony Award nominations, in an announcement made in New York yesterday.

Neil Armfield and Geoffrey Rush’s celebrated revival of Eugene Ionesco’s absurdist classic has been nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Geoffrey Rush, Best Set Design of a Play for Dale Ferguson, Best Costume Design of a Play for Dale Ferguson and Best Sound Design of a Play for Russell Goldsmith.

Rush and Armfield adapted the production under commission from Company B and Malthouse Melbourne in 2006. In 2007 it saw sell-out seasons in Melbourne and Sydney. The nominations add to the impressive list of award nominations Armfield’s production has already received in recent weeks.

Neil Armfield said, “It’s a waste of time spending your working life hoping to get a show up on Broadway, but when the stars align and the opportunity arises, and even better, when it seems to be a ‘hit’ then the pleasure is pretty visceral.

“I think what has been most satisfying is the sense that this, reputedly the most sophisticated theatre audience in the world, was sitting up and taking notice of a production style and a way of acting – an approach to theatre – that has been developing at Belvoir St for years and years. It was a triumph for Company B and the nominations are a triumph for everyone involved.”

The additional award nominations Exit the King has received are listed below. The Tony Awards presentation ceremony will be held on Sunday June 7 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.


Tony Award nominations:
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play – Geoffrey Rush
Best Scenic Design of a Play – Dale Ferguson
Best Costume Design of a Play – Dale Ferguson
Best Sound Design of a Play – Russell Goldsmith

Drama Desk Award nominations:
Outstanding Revival of a Play – Exit the King
Outstanding Actor in a Play – Geoffrey Rush
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play – Andrea Martin
Outstanding Set Design of a Play – Dale Ferguson

Outer Critics Circle Award nominations:
Outstanding Actor in a Play – Geoffrey Rush
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play – Andrea Martin

Drama League Awards Nominations:
Distinguished Revival of a Play          
Distinguished Performance – Geoffrey Rush
Distinguished Performance – Susan Sarandon