Hero's Welcome

"The NYC premiere of 'Hero’s Welcome' is theater where all the pieces – writing, directing, and acting – impeccably fit together...Mr. Ayckbourn hasn’t lost his touch. He also directed this production, a playwright uniquely able to optimally serve his text...I have not one negative criticism of the production. With the direction and entire cast equally splendid, it is perfection." Full Review

"A rich theatrical piece…It is an emotionally charged story that keeps you captivated from the first moment to the last…This is storytelling at its finest, a complex human drama full of twists and turns. The characters are distinctive and wonderfully crafted. The cast completely masters their respective roles capturing the drama and humorous moments in the story...’Hero’s Welcome’ is a theatrical gift to metro area audiences." Full Review

"Now having its American premiere in repertory with 'Confusions', one of Ayckbourn’s earliest plays, with the same actors in both, the production which is directed by the author is from the Stephen Joseph Theater, Scarborough, where most of the author’s plays have had their world premieres. This is a powerful and engrossing study of friendship, love, jealousy, competition and betrayal." Full Review

"As Ayckbourn proves in his tremendous new drama, he's just as wily and incisive now as he was in the early days of his career…The writing blends Ayckbourn's signature style of menacing darkness underneath uproarious situational comedy. It's an excellent, compelling look at human resilience in the face of terror, and the things people are willing to do to make each other both miserable and happy. The performances are top-notch." Full Review

"Ayckbourn stirs us with mystery and conflict. We become completely engaged in how events transpire. Indeed, what Ayckbourn offers is a journey of revelation...From beginning to end, 'Hero’s Welcome' is a sterling production...The directing and acting combine to make for a breathtaking, heart-wrenching finish...This finest of Ayckbourn’s works reveals most importantly that without unsung heroes we are left to face alone the impossible battles within." Full Review

"'Hero’s Welcome' is one of the most poignant dramas that Mr. Ayckbourn has given us…The straightforwardly plotted 'Hero’s Welcome' contains none of the virtuoso theatrical prestidigitation that is Mr. Ayckbourn’s trademark, but it does make splendidly effective use of two stock types from his rogue’s gallery of men…Has there ever been a playwright who directed his own works more skillfully and imaginatively? I doubt it." Full Review

"Having churned out some 79 plays over 55 years, Alan Ayckbourn could easily have run out of plot twists—but this seemingly facile master is far from depleted...The couples bounce off each other like charged particles, and if you think you know where the story’s going, you assuredly don’t. Ayckbourn is as crack a director as he is a dab playwright, and the cast is top-notch—especially the heliotropic Hoskins, who starts out shadowy and subdued, only slowly finding her light." Full Review

"It’s an ironic play with amusing but bitter elements. The irony is tinged with wisdom-of-the-ages sadness, but it does end on a hopeful note…The acting is first-rate as is the direction, with twists and turns created by a first-rate intelligence. 'Hero’s Welcome' is a play you take home with you, furrow your brow and think about, It’s proof that even at 79, Alan Ayckbourn can still create diverse plays with interesting characters. Anything he writes is well worth seeing!" Full Review

"Here’s our bottom line on 'Hero’s Welcome:' we loved it and it’s clearly another Ayckbourn hit...The play is rife with plots and subplots...The cast of 'Hero’s Welcome' consists of the same three men and two women. To be sure, Richard Stacey truly comes into his own here in the starring role of Murray. Nor is this to to say that the other members of the cast aren’t just as good here as they were in 'Confusions' for they truly are." Full Review

“Though it is Mr. Ayckbourn’s most recent play, it is also one of this most old-fashioned...A comedy, at least in the sense that Chekhov called his plays comedies. Its characters are enjoyably silly in their pretensions and eccentricities. They are also capable of acts of genuine evil and genuine heroism...A crowded work...It has more twists of plot than a season of ‘Coronation Street.’ But never make the mistake of thinking Mr. Ayckbourn doesn’t know what he’s doing.” Full Review

"While 'Confusions' ranks in the lower region of Ayckbourn's amazingly large body of work, 'Hero's Welcome' deserves a place in the top tier. Though not without its comic moments, the emphasis this time is on romance — with a true and tender love story interwoven with several youthful love affairs gone wrong…Richard Stacey is believable and touching as the soldier…This mix of sweet and sour makes for a satisfyingly complex several hours of theater." Full Review

"Acykbourn weaves the strands of the overloaded plot into somewhat of a soap opera, except that in his hands the play comes across as more than that. There is mordant humor underscoring the complications as well as serious observations about character behavior. Despite so much jammed into in the play, Ayckbourn and his marvelous cast can keep us riveted, and his direction is lean and pointed." Full Review

"‘Hero’s Welcome’ offers yet another lesson in the magic of good acting...It uses comedy sparingly to tell a story with rather serious events, including a killing, a stroke, and arson; there are some raucous laughs, but the tone definitely leans toward the dark side. Ayckbourn’s genius is such that even when his characters and situations tend toward nastiness humor ripples through the subtext and performances." Full Review

“What becomes clear in ‘Hero’s Welcome’ is how easily people are willing to believe the worst about others...Standing out in this story as a rock of integrity is Baba. Hoskins does an excellent job not only in making her appealing, but also in working with Ayckbourn to allow the character to blossom...The ending is somewhat ambiguous. It shows events coming full circle while leaving the characters with several questions...Then again, that’s been Ayckbourn’s point throughout.” Full Review

"'Hero’s Welcome' demonstrates a profound understanding of quiet, upper-middle-class suffering." Full Review

"Of the many good things in the play, one of them were the actors…Of the things that bothered me, and some of the rest of the audience as they stepped out, was the play’s duration. There were some scenes that could have been cut out…Having said that, even with its long duration, the play was able to keep the audience members glued to their seats, but only if they are willing to commit to it." Full Review

"The six actors deliver authentic and engaging performances. Less engaging is the script itself. The script is convoluted and its characters underdeveloped. While Murray’s, Alice’s, and Kara’s conflicts are clear and their motivations believable, other characters lack authentic conflicts…'Hero’s Welcome' rehearses Mr. Ayckbourn’s important themes with a less than contemporary feel. Still, 'Hero’s Welcome' is an interesting story with redemptive themes and worth the visit." Full Review

"'Hero’s Welcome' feels less sturdily constructed than 'Confusions'–its mysteries are perhaps too easy to solve, some of its characterizations less nuanced than they might be...Ayckbourn directs with a reliance on vivid performances, evocative costumes and cheap furnishings. The actors he has assembled are gutsy and supple. A couple of them are inclined to overplay their parts, but this is clearly done with his approval...Though neither is a major work, each play is absorbing on its own." Full Review

"One of the pleasures of an Ayckbourn season is becoming reacquainted with fine actors who have appeared in previous seasons....Billington, although an apparent newcomer, fits in seamlessly as the toxic Brad…Past events are explained more fully in a way that generates compassion for the characters…The play is plot-heavy and would benefit from a bit of tightening. While it does not represent Ayckbourn at his best, it nevertheless offers much to enjoy." Full Review