The River

See it if you want to brag about having seen Hugh Jackman on stage.

Don't see it if you have any sense of taste. It's just plain bad and pointless.

See it if You'll see anything Hugh Jackman does even if the show is horrible. I recommend saving your money and just catching a glimpse at stage door

Don't see it if You want to be entertained or enjoy your time

See it if You want to see Hugh Jackman in person. The play was very cryptic and somewhat boring.

Don't see it if You don't like cryptic boring plays with spare sets.

See it if You want to see Jackman on stage, no matter how weak the material.

Don't see it if You don't enjoy non-linear, weird plays.

See it if unlike me, you can figure out what the hell this was about. The lead had to explain the show to me afterwards.

Don't see it if you'd be annoyed by a show that does a great job building suspense only to provide zero payoff at the end.

See it if you like slow, smoldering mystery and feeling haunted afterward. Also, if you want to see Hugh Jackman gut a fish, cook it, and eat it.

Don't see it if you prefer action, fussier set design, neatly-packaged conclusions, or upbeat productions. If you don't want to think, go elsewhere.

See it if you want a piece that will leave you talking about it after it is over--especially if that talking is trying to figure out what you just saw

Don't see it if you want a play with a satisfying conclusion that wraps up the story with a bow. This is an extremely confusing piece

Also I did not see the Broadway production of this show--just saw it regionally in Hartford, CT, and I left the theater scratching my head. I turned to the Show Score reviews of the Broadway production to see if I could get an idea of what I had missed, but found the majority of the reviews were similar to my experience. I thought the language of the play was beautiful, but I didn't get what it was trying to say. I felt like if I saw it again I might know what to look and listen for, but I have no desire to see it again. The production was only 75 minutes long, but it felt longer. Why we had to watch the lead actor gut a fish on stage for 5 minutes (no joke) with no explanation why is one example of how the pace dragged. It also seemed, in this production anyway, there was no chemistry between the actors, but don't know if that was part of the direction and artistry of the show. Hard to discern what was intentional and what was not.... Read more Read less

See it if you love hugh jackman

Don't see it if you want a better show for 90 mins

See it if you enjoy thought provoking drama

Don't see it if you don't enjoy really having to pay close attention to every moment of a show

See it if Hugh Jackman is in it, or some other great actor who is pleasant to watch for 90+ minutes. Play has plenty of room for improvement.

Don't see it if you like explanations/mysteries answered.

See it if you are desperate to inhabit the same room as Hugh Jackman [guilty as charged]. also, Cush Jumbo is excellent.

Don't see it if you expect a play as complex and brilliant as Jerusalem. or don't want to see an intense 2- hander about RELATIONSHIPS

See it if you value great acting above all else

Don't see it if you want better writing or a faster pace

See it if you want to see Hugh Jackman's body.

Don't see it if you don't like Hugh Jackman. It's only reason you go to that kind of play. To see a big Hollywood Star in person.

Also The problem with "The River" is the script.
I didn't care about the play, I just wanted to see Hugh Jackman, and oh surprise: the stage was in a U-Shape and full of ladies.
it is a love story between three girls and a guy.
In one of the scenes, Hugh prepares a fish, and cooks it with onions, tomatoes. So all the theater could see his big arms, big body and voluptuous behind. A visual experience. This scene was long and lasted for a while. More obvious couldn't be. Once again, sometimes Hollywood actors they put more attention to be in Broadway than to chose a better script and play for them. The three actress were really a disappointment.... Read more Read less

See it if For Hugh obviously, and bring your brain. You need to pay attention to when it jumps. Jez Butterworth doesn't let you rest. Fantastic set.

Don't see it if You don't want to pay attention and you need questions answered. Not a pretty wrapped up bow. Still worth it. If you can't handle flashbacks

See it if you just want to say you saw Hugh Jackman live.

Don't see it if you want to be able to make sense of the narrative you're witnessing

See it if You want to see Hugh Jackman onstage and also see a new work of theatre.

Don't see it if You dislike slow plays.

See it if You just want to see Hugh Jackman on stage, or don't mind really long periods of not knowing what's going on.

Don't see it if You care about the quality of the writing above all else.

See it if you like great acting and intense story, and of course, Hugh Jackman.

Don't see it if if you don't like thought provoking theatre.

See it if You'd enjoy a mysterious play about a man who seems to keep reliving his mistakes with women, with perhaps a more sinister interpretation.

Don't see it if You would be annoyed by a play that leaves you with many questions but few definite answers.

See it if you like Hugh Jackman... but even he doesn't make up for the utter crap that is "The River"

Don't see it if just don't see it. You can live your entire life without subjecting yourself to this show. The actors were fine but the play was SO BAD.

See it if you enjoy existentialism and using your brain a lot throughout the show. Or if you want to see Hugh Jackman in a wet tee shirt.

Don't see it if you want to spend the entire show distracted by figuring it out.

See it if you're a fan of Hugh Jackman or Cush Jumbo

Don't see it if you want a bit more story and a bit less gimmick in your stageplay.

See it if you like Hugh Jackman, you're not particularly concerned with a show that has a meandering plot and a bizarre ending.

Don't see it if you like plays that want to leave you with a message/deeper meaning to actually have a message/deeper meaning

See it if This production shook me at my core. It touched something that I had deep inside for a very long time. Brilliant!

Don't see it if You have to welcome the story with an open mind and heart.

See it if You want to see Hugh Jackman up close and personal and you like Butterworth's writing.

Don't see it if You don't like "flashback" type productions.