Juno and the Paycock NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (59)
See it if you enjoy solid, old-fashioned plays. Well drawn chars, interesting plot, hist'l backdrop, Humor and pathos. Nice set. Lovely accents.
Don't see it if you hate misogyny. Women in 1922 were mistreated. W are strong, intellig, loving, capable. Desertion is the only escape. Support ea other. Read more
See it if Family drama with O'Casey's colorful characters. Family does better when coming into money & falls apart when not. Strong acting.
Don't see it if O'Casey's use of the Book of Job paradigm may have been fresh in 1925, but this is the third Job play I've seen in the past year.
See it if Irish Rep's masterful revival scores across the board - writing, acting & staging on Corcoran's grand immersive set Pepe's direction stellar
Don't see it if O'Casey's lamentation on human foibles while not w/o humor is fairly bleak esp in context of Irish civil war but Plunkett & O'Reilly shine
See it if You’ve been interested in seeing this play and/or enjoy classic Irish dramas. This production is small, but mighty.
Don't see it if You dislike drawing room/kitchen table dramas about poor people hoping for wealth that will “change their lives”.
See it if you’re interested in rags-to-riches-to-rags stories. This play is rich in character and features eye-catching, immersive scenic design.
Don't see it if you have trouble with accents. I didn’t quite catch all the dialogue at the beginning, but it eventually all sunk in.
See it if Promise of small inheritance can't shield Irish tenement family from Civil Wartime tragedy.Maryann Plunkett back Off-B'way where she belongs
Don't see it if Ten authentic, yet accessible accents sometimes addressed to walls.Pregnancy subplot."If a guy was dyin, you'd try to give him a cuppa tay." Read more
See it if you are a fan of Irish theater depicting the time & suffering of its people during the Irish Civil War; masterfully directed and acted.
Don't see it if Some of the characters' personalities can get on your nerves, like nails screeching on a blackboard; you know this story cannot end well.
See it if You are an O'Casey fan.
Don't see it if You don't like Irish plays about the troubles.
Critic Reviews (16)
"Starts out as a domestic comedy before evolving into the stuff of Gaelic tragedy...Under the meticulously calibrated direction of Neil Pepe, this production is a gem of Irish realism, expertly transitioning from humorous banter to life-altering epiphanies. The production’s evocative design and lived-in performances...bolster the verisimilitude...As the Boyles struggle to survive in a world where politics and religion aim to keep them down, their potent emotions are self-explanatory."
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"Jack has the flashiest part, and Mr. O’Reilly, who also played him in 2013, is equally fine this time around...Nevertheless, it is the actor who plays Juno on whose stooped shoulders rests the ultimate success of any revival of 'Juno and the Paycock,' and Ms. Plunkett is more than equal to the challenge...Once again, you come away feeling not that you’ve just seen a play but that you spent the evening eavesdropping on a roomful of real people."
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"Performed by a dynamic cast led by O'Reilly and Plunkett, Pepe's take feels fresh and relevant while remaining faithful to O' Casey's nearly 100-year-old play...Pepe gives the play a thrilling jolt of realism in a handful of tense, shouty scenes between Juno and her son and husband that take place offstage in an inner room, making us feel as though we're listening to real-life arguments of the family next door. It's a brave directorial choice, but the cast carries it out brilliantly."
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“It is a work both delicate in its structure and brutal in its implications, a heartbreaking comedy set against a bitter background of sectarian violence, a play that seems to contain an entire tumultuous world...One of the most remarkable things about Pepe's production is how it captures the way in which hilarity tumbles headlong into heartbreak...Many members of the supporting cast deliver colorful and incisive performances that capture the heartbeat of working-class lives."
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“IRT is now offering something resembling a revival of a revival...The cast features several actors repeating their 2013-14 performances...O’Casey creates so many of the ‘Juno and the Paycock’ figures with broad yet subtle strokes of his pen that they’re marvels for actors to take on. The returning players here must have been overjoyed to have another go at them...Well-done productions confirm first-rate writing. This 'Juno and the Paycock' hits that high mark.”
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"Superb, searing revival...'Juno‘'s second act, under Neil Pepe’s stringent but deeply compassionate direction, both excruciating and mesmerizing...Flawless ensemble...By the end of 'Juno‘s' third and final act—its last two scenes punctuated by a harrowing pause that Pepe allows to linger painfully—the party is over for all the Boyles.”
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"With his almost sneering delivery of Joxer's obsequious and vowel-rich responses ('it's a darlin' funeral, a daarlin' funeral'), Keating's performance is especially brilliant, pitched just before the point when servility turns into hate. As for Jack, O'Reilly brushes aside his litany of faults to make him a first-rate charmer, capable of snatching a smile from Juno even after he's brought the overburdened woman to her wit's end."
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"It isn't one of those classics that trigger the directorial urge to give any revival an edgy new interpretation...O'Casey's blend of humor and intense tragedy add to its enduring power to entertain and move audiences...'Juno and the Paycock’ is especially relevant...Plunkett is magnificent...Only someone with a heart of stone will fail to be deeply moved when Juno, after two hours of emotional restraint, burst out with a heart-wrenching cry."
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