Arden of Faversham NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsShow-Score Member Reviews (135)
See it if you like broad Elizabethan comedies, and have always been curious about this little-known gem that some have attributed to Shakespeare.
Don't see it if high-energy histrionics don't appeal to you, and neither does flowery, pseudo-Shakespearean language. Read more
See it if You like iambic pentameter, farce, and a spirited production with fine comic acting and great enunciation
Don't see it if You want something deep or with character development
See it if You like Shakespearean word order or if you like plot twists and silly fun.
Don't see it if You expect serious Shakespeare or do not enjoy twists and unrealistic plot.
See it if Unexpectedly entertaining without having to work much for it, for an Elizabethan play. Not sure how much the text was adapted if at all.
Don't see it if I personally didn't find much to be objectionable; skip if even minimal "thy/thou" annoy you, I guess Read more
See it if You enjoy, or are curious about Jacobean plays. A bloody romp with entertaining murder weapons. Well plotted.
Don't see it if Language bores you. At times, this almost could be a 1930's radio play, although it is a lovely production.
See it if you like to see a 16th century play with dark humor and some violence. I enjoyed the interaction of the various murderous plots.Good acting.
Don't see it if you don't like violence on stage. There are several murders done on stage with some humorous and some messy doings. Read more
See it if You enjoy dialogue written in verse, delivered by a wonderful cast.
Don't see it if You only like musicals or modern dramas. Read more
See it if Into periodic plays. Another well staged classic play by Red Bull theater.
Don't see it if Not into Elizabethan English. Read more
Critic Reviews (8)
"It's no spoiler to reveal that Arden gets it in the end. Even though it doesn't seem likely that much else of this true crime thriller is actually true, the play is ultimately less about the ending than the tomfoolery that gets us there. Whether Shakespeare wrote it or not, Faversham deserves a visit."
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"It all builds to a corpse-laden climax, courtesy of a poisoned, lethal-to-the-touch crucifix; that, at least, is something you don't see every day."
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“ ‘Arden of Faversham’ is rarely done in the United States, and its mysterious authorial origins tend to eclipse its stageworthiness. Even a schizophrenic production like the current one, though, shows that this domestic tragedy potentially offers a bloody good time.”
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“The Red Bull presentation is a welcome opportunity to see ‘Arden of Faversham.’ Indeed, it may be the only opportunity to see it in this lifetime. If that isn’t a strong enough incentive, I’d like to know what is.”
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The problem with this production is that although the characters’ behavior is utterly outrageous on the verge of satire, Berger has directed in so flat and bland a style that shocking lines that should get embarrassed laughter fail to make any impression. Has Berger directed the play absolutely straight knowing that his audience is unlikely to be familiar with it? It would be more fun and rewarding if was as over-the-top as the murderers’ plotting.
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“This ’Arden of Faversham ’ remains the scandalous, sensationalist comedy-drama it was intended to be.”
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“The production tried to be too many things to too many different people and thus came off not as good as it could have been, almost as if was done by committee...There is historic relevance to the play, and for that reason alone I urge you to see it as it doesn’t often find itself a stage.”
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“The verse-speaking is fine, particularly Roach in a key soliloquy and the comedy is plentiful. But the constant seesawing of alliances eventually becomes wearying, and the final moments are the weakest...Still, ‘Arden’ is staged so rarely that even a production with flaws is worth a visit.”
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