A Clockwork Orange (New World Stages) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (239)
See it if You like edgy, provocative shows, with adult subject matter. The choreography was astonishing. I’ve never seen a show quite like it.
Don't see it if You’re put off by even implied violence, are easily confused (every actor except the lead plays multiple characters), or want a lighter show
See it if you enjoy dynamic plays with absorbing dancing that is an integral part of the drama
Don't see it if you would be put off by the stylized violence and sex that are at the core of this drama.
See it if You want to see something different or like to see good looking guys on stage. Fine acting.
Don't see it if You have a problem understanding British accents. IF you want to see hot girls in a show.
See it if You enjoy dark and dystopic stories, great direction, movement is precise and dynamic. Jonno Davies is great as Alex.
Don't see it if The all male cast suggests themes that are not inherent in the text. Don't see if violence and the 'eggy wegg' language are not your thing.
See it if You want to see great body movement and staging
Don't see it if If you are homophobic
See it if you have seen the movie and want a new take on it
Don't see it if you might feel that there is a homosexual overtone in the staging
See it if you're looking for something a little dangerous that will make you think about good and evil in different, gray area, ways.
Don't see it if you are sensitive to violence or adult content. Nothing is graphic, but very suggestive in movement.
See it if You are a fan of the book or movie adaptation; you like dystopian stories; you enjoy rock and classical music.
Don't see it if You are easily offended or unable to engage with controversial and disturbing subject matter.
Critic Reviews (48)
"An erotic word ballet that finds beauty in the well-chiseled male form through highly stylized acts of choreographed violence...What any of it has to do with Burgess' classic dystopian novel is anyone's guess...The charismatic Davies admirably throws himself into the physically and emotionally demanding role...But...the production limply trudges through its overwhelmed emotional dramatics...Having a unique vision is great, but not when it's done at the expense of the text."
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"Amounts to a ninety-minute howl of rage; meant to electrify, more often it induces fatigue...The characters are purposely two-dimensional, performed on the far edge of caricature...As in the film, all of Spencer-Jones' diligent -- and often effective -- work obscures the fact that Burgess was concerned with matters philosophical...One can admire the skill and commitment of all involved while simultaneously wishing that they would stop so furiously pressing their case."
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“A revisionist look at the classic Anthony Burgess novel from 1962, the stage version of ‘A Clockwork Orange’ may throw you for a loop in more than one way. With its emphasis on choreographed movements and highly stylized acrobatics, the production--a British import--becomes more of a performance piece than a play. But the story of Alex and his ‘droog’ comrades in violence is still there--even if it's something less than front and center.”
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"Winds up being visually spectacular while failing to satisfy as drama. The dance and movement are delicately staged and impressively executed...Despite Davies' commanding presence, he never quite achieves the balance of eliciting sympathy and revulsion that has made the character so iconic...While the physical performances are impressive, they also fail to convey the fully troublesome nature of the world that Burgess created...A missed opportunity."
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"It’s all very loud with primal screaming and distorted grumbling, sometimes difficult to understand the actual words, but easy enough to get the meaning of all the simulations...This is a high-energy production of fine actors. However, if you’re prone to closing your eyes in such circumstances as described, better not even bother attempting to be in the audience. Not for the faint of heart!"
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"Intense and erotic...Marvelously choreographed...It all happens in race-against-the-clock speed, packing the story into 90 minutes on an intimate stage with an ensemble of excellent actors playing multiple characters...Not only is the cast made up of excellent actors, but their physical bodies are ripped and cut unbelievably...Truly, the beatings and rapes, though choreographed, are still extremely graphic and disturbing."
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“Casual observers of the play can marvel at the sinewy, shirtless, Lego-abdominal wonder of it all. But at times, it is their exuberant buoyancy that challenges the notion of whether this version of droog mishaps should necessarily be avoided on a dark night…At its very best, 'A Clockwork Orange' shows us the jubilance in ferociousness…The physical precision executed here is inventive and impressive.”
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"Has the slickness and the eroticism that generally helps fill the seats, but oddly feels a bit more shallow and a tad less emotionally connecting. There is definitely a strong precise vision of how to tell this complicated and violent story through the impressive and athletic choreography and stagecraft, and that aspect works majestically...The production is loud and exciting, glossy and sharp, sure to attract the crowds it deserves...This play leaves you titillated but emotionally disengaged."
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