Medicine NYC Reviews and Tickets

75%

(30 Reviews)

Positive

77%

Mixed

23%

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Confusing, Intense, Thought-provoking, Ambitious

About the Show

A devastating yet comedic work that shatters the boundary between cast and audience.

Following rave reviews at the Edinburgh International Festival and a sold out premiere at the Galway International Arts Festival, Enda Walsh returns to St. Ann’s Warehouse! In Medicine, protagonist John Kane is sitting on a hospital gurney where a jazz percussionist, two women named Mary, a very old man, and a giant lobster will soon arrive. What happens next is a zany, absurdist series of comedic events that you won't want to miss.

Member Reviews (30)

Disappointing, Confusing

See it if Somewhat illogical storytelling trying to come to a conclusion.

Don't see it if You want to see a more traditional play with an ending that makes sense.

Disappointing, Experimental, Indulgent, Weird, Confusing

See it if You enjoy experimental theater & uncoventional storytelling.

Don't see it if You don't like weird or bizarre shows.I was intrigued but by the end of the show I didn't know what I just watched and was ready to go home

Intense, Thought-provoking, Quirky, Great acting, Ambitious

See it if you're a fan of Enda Walsh or Domhnall Gleeson, enjoy plays that explore limits in mental health care, like odd humor & intense theatrics

Don't see it if You are easily confused & prefer more realistic theater, have difficulty discerning what author is trying to do, don't like odd monologues

Disturbing, Intense, Thought-provoking, Confusing, Absorbing

See it if u treasure good acting & don't mind having your mind played with while trying to figure out what's going on; not 1 boring moment in the play

Don't see it if u do not deal well with mental illness, need to know what's real and what is not, who the two Marys are & who exactly do they work for?

Thought-provoking, Funny, Moving, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you like Walsh's plays like Ballyturk, like absurdist plays and enjoy ones that are frequently confusing. Great acting by all.

Don't see it if don't like plays that start off very funny and end sadly moving. Don't like confusion - sometimes it's worth it to see Walsh's plays twice* Read more

Experimental, Quirky

See it if Mental health asylumee puts on a play for no one / the world about his life story to figure out why he's in there.

Don't see it if Experimental, mental health asylum, parental neglect/abuse, no neat plot/ending, UK humor, play within a play aren't your thing. Read more

Overrated, Great acting, Disappointing, Confusing, Ambitious

See it if well acted, whatever it was. Probably good for Enda Walsh fans.

Don't see it if want an actual story. Not much of a narrative, another confusing story by Enda Walsh.

Mystifying & thought-provoking, Confusing but weirdly-engaging, Bleakly-humorous, Well-acted, Absurd

See it if you enjoy unsettling, sometimes mind-boggling work that makes you work hard to find “meaning” or even "plot"; a fan of Domhnall Gleeson.

Don't see it if you require clear-cut motives, explanation, and lucid plot in your dramas; need to be constantly entertained by light humor and no darkness. Read more

Critic Reviews (4)

"CRITIC’S PICK...By the end, John’s dejection feels as familiar as a phantom pain. He may still be within the same sad four walls where he began, but Walsh’s production transforms the space from one of isolation into one of empathy that even the audience can share. Because ultimately, a couple of doses of human connection is the best medicine anyone can ask for."
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"The very fine cast, imported from Medicine’s premiere productions in Edinburgh and Galway earlier this year, handles each whiplash turn with admirable precision and aplomb...Medicine is sorrowful at its core, but spoonfuls of colorful sugar help make it go down."
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"Because it’s a Walsh play, all this zigzagging pop-culture nonsense is destined to climax in a cacophony of flashing lights (by Adam Silverman), ear-shattering sounds (by Helen Atkinson), drums-and-cymbal banging (by Sean Carpio) and incomprehensible screaming (by all three actors)."
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"Watching the foregone conclusion of someone who never had a chance get beat up by the world holds limited appeal. Though it is just as likely that as someone who is in recovery from concussion syndrome and is therefore vulnerable to sensory overload, this production was not meant for people like me. Regardless, Medicine is well-produced and may entertain those who have never been exposed to trauma or the carceral state."
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