Get tickets now to "the most critically acclaimed play of the season" (Rolling Stone). The Chicago Tribune calls THE FERRYMAN "a sprawling, Shakespearean masterpiece and the best new play of the year." Written by Jez Butterworth and directed Sam Mendes, this "new, instant and monumental classic" (HuffPost) has been ranked on more "Top 10" lists than any other show. New York Times critic Ben Brantley says, "It's the Broadway production of the year."
It's 1981 in Northern Ireland, and the Carney farmhouse is a hive of activity with preparations for the annual harvest. A day of hard work on the land and a traditional night of feasting and celebrations lie ahead. But this year they will be interrupted by a visitor. The Hollywood Reporter says, "This crackling thriller positively thrums with life and love. It will leave you breathless." And The New Yorker raves, "As you sit in the audience, you know you are watching theatre history happen." Don't miss THE FERRYMAN - "the must-see drama of the year" (Time Out).
Sam Mendes directs, with scenic & costume design by Rob Howell, lighting design by Peter Mumford, sound design & original music by Nick Powell, and choreography by Scarlett Mackmin.
Butterworth takes his time unfolding details of his plot, focusing more on how a continuing political issue affects family dynamics spanning three generations, leading up to a tense and violent conclusion. Under Sam Mendes' empathetic direction, the wonderful ensemble company provides deeply-textured and entertaining performances. Despite the three and a quarter hour length (one intermission and a brief pause) the play flies by.
That ominous opening weighs on everything that follows, as we meet that family, the Carney clan: Quinn (British film star Paddy Considine, who made his stage debut in the London production), his ailing wife Mary (Genevieve O'Reilly), his sister-in-law Caitlin (Donnelly) and assorted aunts, uncles, offspring and cousins. It is harvest day and there's much work - and feasting - to be done, the vivid family dynamics brought to life with care by a cast that has no weak links and by director Sam Mendes, a frequent Butterworth collaborator.
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