Albatross NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (53)
See it if An intense experience. All out performance brings new perspective to old poem ("The Rime of the Ancient Mariner") Knowing the poem helps.
Don't see it if you don't like one-man shows. This unsanitized version may be unsettling for some. Not for the faint of heart.
See it if This one-act retelling of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner humanizes the protagonist and reminds us of personal responsibility & culpability.
Don't see it if It is a little raw (we're with sailors) and it is a one actor production, but mostly you'll enjoy it. Could use a bit of editing, too.
See it if you enjoy well acted one man shows which are a bit unusual and require the use of you imagination.
Don't see it if you prefer a clearly developed story not solely dependant on the actor and some stage tricks.
See it if you're a fan of one-person shows as well as The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner.
Don't see it if you don't like one-person shows or aren't too excited about a sailor telling a story
See it if You like intense one-man shows without intermissions. Emotional and raw acting.
Don't see it if You don't care for unnecessary background, loud wooden chest noises, and lengthy and sometimes confusing narrative. Actor was great, but.meh
See it if People who know what The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is.
Don't see it if You only like happy musicals.
See it if You enjoy creative re-imagining of a classic tale
Don't see it if One-man shows are not your thing
See it if you like retellings of old stories. It takes Rime of the Ancient Mariner and makes it easier to understand and connect with.
Don't see it if you don't like projections, fog, or strobe effects. Or swearing. He swears like a sailor. Can get a bit slow in places.
Critic Reviews (23)
"It’s definitely an attention grabbing opening, and one that doesn’t let us down moving forward...Through the vessel that is Evert and the direction of Rick Lombardo, we are given a rowdy and engaging telling of this tale of guilt and remorse...It’s an exciting tale, shocking, moving, and arresting. Magically and effortlessly told, Evert grabs us and yanks us willingly throughout this 85-minute monologue, leaving us fulfilled and uplifted on the shore of our newly acquired awareness."
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“Spengler and Evett created an intense one-man play around Coleridge's poem, famous for its place in the early history of Romanticism. Evett himself performs the title figure in a tour-de-force of acting chops and physical stamina...The 85-minute play, perhaps 15 minutes longer than it has to be, makes demands that test his endurance and, when the rains begin pouring down on him late in the play, you're happier for the actor than the character that he's finally got water, water, everywhere.”
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“The only thing amiss with this script are repeated, thoroughly annoying references to the present, which rip us away from the power of the chronicle and back into our theater seats. A big mistake…Benjamin Evett brings terrific physicality to his role…It might serve the piece to vary emotional level a bit more. Starting aggressive/maddened without respite means we’ve less far to go. Mostly, Lombardo needs to keep an eye on his star. Production values are simply marvelous."
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"Benjamin Evett gives us a surpassing performance in a magnificent play…It’s a tragic story with a possible, ambiguous redemption–redemption here less clear than in Coleridge’s poem. What courage to take on a famous, iconic poem, what confidence of vision! These contemporary authors meet that challenge fully. This play is written with a passionate, raw, vernacular poetry of its own that makes the telling of the story near-to-overwhelming."
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"The story is classic, but through the use of modern technology, multimedia projections, strong sound effects, and a multipurpose set, the play feels of the moment...And there is no better actor to create this world than Benjamin Evett...It is a raw and emotional role to play, and Evett does so flawlessly by putting his whole heart and soul into the role...Hats must be tipped for what is a top-notch performance, but what also must be an exhausting one."
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"We should all be so lucky to have this man’s energy, at his age...Evett has converted this story into an environmental tale...A tremendous, if obvious, message...Do you want to go hear this message handed to you, heavily? Heavy-handedly?...Evett’s got gale-force power; it’s a bit much for a small theater. Black Dog in a black box? Biting off pieces of someone’s shoulder, swallowing them, and then blowing chunks? 'Is it too much?' You be the judge."
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"It's a stirring piece of theatre, inventively staged with rigging and ragged sailcloth strewn about the stage to great effect, while Evett himself makes use of ladders, ropes and all to spin the yarn. It does, however, have a slight misstep of a moment, as several references to modern life are well-intentioned but feel somewhat forced, especially as the message is well enough captured in the actions of the Mariner himself. Overall, this is a show well worth the admission."
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"The framing devices do go on a bit long...The piece reaches full speed once the mariner’s yarn reaches South America, and there’s a wonderful sense of growing dread...Evett imbues this piece with a Bard-like sense of man’s ability to observe, but not alter, the inexorable progress of fate. Evett’s charisma forges the sense that 'Albatross' would be just as captivating an experience if he stood atop a sea chest and recited it in broad daylight on Boston Common."
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