Girls & Boys NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (137)
See it if Fantastic solo performance in an absorbing and somewhat shocking play.
Don't see it if you dislike solo shows. Sometimes the pace lolls.
See it if You want to see a spellbinding one person show. A real roller coaster of emotions. Truly amazing performance!
Don't see it if You’re not ready for a hard punch in the gut. This one is going to stay with you for a while.
See it if Woman recollects past scenes in her life culminating in a tragedy. Themes: marriage gone bad, male violence. Well written and acted.
Don't see it if Depressing and sad, with graphic violence. Non-linear. The character wasn't compelling. But overall it held my interest.
See it if you like 1-person shows, are a fan of Carey Mulligan, interested in clever staging, appreciate intense, unexpected endings
Don't see it if not a fan of Mulligan, 1-person shows or mysterious "jumps" into character's memory, can't abide a little slowness to get to rich denouement
See it if u want to see a gripping, funny, aching, shattering perf-of-a-lifetime by Mulligan in a memory play about a woman trapped in a bad marriage.
Don't see it if you go expecting a particularly insightful, balanced or original play about gender roles, as the title suggests it may be. Read more
See it if you want to see a brilliant, layered, solo performance by Mulligan She delivers laugh out loud moments as well as shattering your heart
Don't see it if you don't appreciate one person plays or the telling of a seemingly normal story that turns very dark toward the end.
See it if You appreciate solo shows.
Don't see it if You don't like solo shows.
See it if How the greatest man of her life became her greatest tragedy. Exploration of how violence plays out very gendered in current society.
Don't see it if Death of children is triggering. Don't understand more urban English accents. Don't like one-person shows. Read more
Critic Reviews (35)
"Carey Mulligan, one of the most compelling stage actresses of her generation...Mulligan is the entire cast, you are unconditionally hers...Kelly is one lucky playwright to have had her as his interpreter...A dark tease of a tale that never quite rises to its own, earnest ambitions...Kelly has written a careful and intelligent script that covers many bases but lands on few of them with full impact. It begins as a fond portrait of a love affair and ends as a cold assessment of a tragedy."
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"Sensitively directed...and features a haunted, lived-in, and often quite funny turn from its lone onstage performer. What 'Girls & Boys' lacks is a script that elevates its subject matter to compelling drama, or anything resembling art...It has societal problems at its center that it wants to talk with us about, but it has nothing new or particularly interesting to say...An ersatz dramatic event featuring ersatz characters that doesn’t so much explore its themes as cross them off a list."
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"Mulligan delivers an unforgettable performance...For anyone interested in the art of stage acting, attendance is mandatory...Much of the piece is a long, at times rambling setup to a horrifically tragic conclusion at tonal odds with much of what's preceded it. But for all the flaws in the writing...the play nonetheless easily holds our attention for an uninterrupted 105 minutes. Much of the credit goes to Mulligan."
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"As played to aching, bruised perfection by Carey Mulligan, the unnamed Woman takes us on a journey into darkness that we hope will turn out to be an elaborate lie—but know is not...Both writing and acting are superb, in perfect sync thanks to Turner’s clinical direction and spare but effective choreography. Kelly writes with delectable relish and gusto, not scanting on cascading profanity or visceral imagery. As for Mulligan, she’s magnificent."
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"Words couldn’t truly capture just how thrilling, shattering, and simply phenomenal Mulligan is...Be prepared to be rocked to the core by this fictional memoir that begins in rom-com territory and slowly but surely fills with dark shadows...Mulligan makes every line, gesture and movement as a wife and mother feel so real it hurts...Kelly’s script, while a bit slack and didactic, is also scalpel-sharp and detailed...Turner guides the sleek and seamless production."
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“As suggested by the title, ‘Girls & Boys’ explores contemporary gender relations — as well as the capacity to commit violence. It is heavy-handed in both how it expresses its viewpoints and how it graphically describes gruesome details. Nevertheless, the play (sharply directed by Lyndsey Turner) makes for frequently absorbing and provocative storytelling, built around a fully realized, committed performance by Mulligan.”
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"It's Mulligan's disarming performance, at once hilarious and absolutely tragic, that makes the events that take place so shocking...'Girls & Boys' is a memory play, and Lyndsey Turner's production is awash with them...It's an extremely funny performance, but even as she hits punch lines as though she's secretly been a comic for years, there's a lot going on behind her eyes, adding even more depth to the play's darker, more surprising second half."
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“Mulligan, guided by Turner, gives one of those remarkably naturalistic performances that tricks you into thinking there's little or no acting involved...As in any good romantic comedy (and quite a bit...is very funny), the woman takes an immediate dislike to the man she will eventually marry...But their marriage begins going sour...and things get scary when she says she wants a divorce...No replacement for seeing Mulligan's exceptional performance live.”
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