Invincible NYC Reviews and Tickets

"A caustic comedy about country and class...Had it been staged a few years ago, it might have felt timely. Now its arguments are obvious at best...Despite a vein of Ayckbourn-esque melancholy and a nod toward state-of-the-nation seriousness, Betts and director Darcy keep surging past naturalism toward strident farce, then stumbling into tragedy. The production spells out what was already pretty intelligible and which recent elections have made glaringly evident."
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"Under Darcy's sluggish direction, the ostensibly comedic first act mostly fizzles—despite strenuous efforts by the cast, especially Brookes as a garrulous oaf—and the much darker second act, which hinges on absent kids and a missing cat, is an overwrought bust. The characters reveal fears and disappointments that eat away at their souls, but it's hard to care about people who have been written as stereotypes. At the end one couple is completely broken, but the audience is merely bored."
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“The only thing playwright Torben Betts forgot to include is humor. Neither director Stephen Darcy nor the cast supply it either…The problem with Betts's script isn't the presence of complications; it's their number and treatment…Darcy's direction does nothing to clarify matters…This inconsistency does the actors no favors. They play their parts with energy, but the result is an amplification of the script's contradictions and inanities.”
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“This superbly written play has splendid direction by Stephen Darcy and features a stellar cast. ‘Invincible’ is a wholly entertaining yet emotive show that reminds us of why we love the theatre. Don't miss it…The cast of 'Invincible' delivers Torben Bett's wonderfully crafted dialogue with impeccable timing. There are laugh-out-loud scenes and some that are completely heartrending…This show should absolutely be on your summer must-see list.”
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“Betts understands what ails his country, but his point is so broadly argued, and so stylistically wobbly, that it fails to land…The actors score intermittently…If Betts had worked more felicitously, ‘Invincible’ might have done for the English class divide what Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat' has done for the current state of American politics. Instead, it's all over the place, a stew of comedy, drama, and editorial commentary that never really coheres.”
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“The play does a fine job of shedding light on how difficult it is for members of the middle class and the working class to find common ground…If there is one problem with the play, it is the abruptness of the transition from the silliness of Act I to the more complex character development that takes place in the second half. But the four cast members are pitch-perfect under Stephen Darcy's direction."
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“Betts' ‘Invincible’ has been compared to Alan Ayckbourn's work. Although there are similarities, particularly in Betts' ear for capturing the jargon of his characters and his feel for social class distinctions, Ayckbourn's plays are more delicately constructed and make their points - whether social or emotional - more cleverly than Betts. Even so, ‘Invincible’ - the title a football reference - is satisfying as both a comedy and a drama, breaking more than a few hearts.”
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"This clever, laugh-inducing play provides plenty of comedic relief along with some deeper thoughts regarding class...The characters themselves are stereotypes...However, these stereotypes become more complex and the sitcom humor widens and deepens into something far more thought-provoking...Each of the actors succeeds in transitioning their character from a superficial comedic sketch to a more complex and emotionally dramatic performance."
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