Of Human Bondage
Closed 2h 40m
Of Human Bondage
87

Of Human Bondage NYC Reviews and Tickets

87%
(137 Ratings)
Positive
96%
Mixed
4%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great acting, Great staging, Absorbing, Ambitious, Masterful

About the Show

Canada's Soulpepper Theatre Company presents the first-ever theatrical adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's 1915 epic of lustful obsession and the pursuit of happiness.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (137)

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118 Reviews | 9 Followers
95
Absorbing, Clever, Great acting, Great staging, Intelligent

See it if you are interested in new manners of storytelling. Great staging, lighting and sound creation in this production.

Don't see it if no reason. If you can not see this, see another Soulpepper production before they go back to Canada.

don
506 Reviews | 1009 Followers
95
Absorbing, Entertaining, Clever, Great acting, Masterful

See it if 12 great actors.. wonderful music background, lighting super...book had to made into a play.

Don't see it if score is by a 100/90 duo. only negative is that the talkback did not also include the cast. Director was super (cast had Spoon River to do)

398 Reviews | 120 Followers
95
Great acting, Great staging, Masterful, Riveting, Clever

See it if You enjoy a well directed, well acted, cleverly staged, and interesting adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage.

Don't see it if You are not interested in older literature. I have only praise for this production!

305 Reviews | 98 Followers
94
Absorbing, Great acting, Great staging, Intelligent, Resonant

See it if You enjoy a triumph of superior stagecraft and brilliant ensemble acting

Don't see it if You want light frivolous laughter

63 Reviews | 15 Followers
93
Ambitious, Entertaining, Great acting, Great staging, Intense

See it if you're excited by unique staging, if you're interested in the human condition or if you're familiar with the book.

Don't see it if you want a light comedy, if you dislike dark content or if you don't like seeing people make bad choices.

754 Reviews | 128 Followers
93
Entertaining, Great ensemble, Thought-provoking, Ambitious, Great staging

See it if fine ensemble work interests you. Actors slide between roles, play instruments & create aural aspects of each scene like rain birds & crowds

Don't see it if life's injustices disturb you. There is a lot to think about here.

414 Reviews | 70 Followers
92
Absorbing, Clever, Entertaining, Great acting, Great staging

See it if you want a well-written adaptation of a classic performed by a wonderful ensemble who also play instruments for music & sound effects

Don't see it if you don't want adaptations of older works, actors playing multiple roles including playing instruments & moving props Read more

51 Reviews | 13 Followers
92
Absorbing, Clever, Great staging, Great writing, Refreshing

See it if You appreciate refreshing staging and storytelling for scripts with deeply human subject matters.

Don't see it if You don't like accents or you're expecting whips and chains. It's not that kind of show. You may see a shoulder or two, though ;)

Critic Reviews (23)

Theatre Reviews Limited
July 6th, 2017

"Both blazoned with success and tempered by the temptation of pretense and over-production...Thiessen has created a splendid retelling of Maugham’s novel...What falls short is the staging itself. Schultz has assembled a talented cast and creative team; however, some of his choices seem to detract from the action of the play...Also falling short are some of the performances...Choices made by the creative team inadvertently collude to lessen the potential power of this staging."
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Times Square Chronicles
July 6th, 2017

"There are times that magic happens in theatre. 'Of Human Bondage' is one of them...Thiessen’s adaptation allows those of us who have read the novel to appreciate its depth and beauty. Schultz’s staging is relentlessly inventive...The whole show is a total sensory experience, with inspired set and lighting design, hauntingly beautiful music, and vocal effects that will blow you away...If you love theatre, you must see this amazing production."
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Gotham Playgoer
July 10th, 2017

"It held my interest for its creative storytelling, innovate staging and fine cast...Press and Monteith are both very good. The other ten hardworking cast members play multiple roles adroitly...The direction by Albert Schultz provides many creative touches. To describe them would eliminate the surprise, so I won’t say more. The pace is a bit slow in the first act, but picks up after intermission. Overall, it was a worthwhile evening."
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C
July 11th, 2017

"Breathtaking...A tour de force that encapsulates the seminal themes of the novel…How Thiessen, Schultz, the transcendent cast, and others crystallized the novel’s essence and distilled its characters and story into the magnificence that is currently playing is most probably a fascinating story in itself…What hath the director Albert Schultz wrought? In a word? Majesty. I can’t sing this production’s praises enough…This production is gobsmackingly singular.”
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DC Metro Theater Arts
July 6th, 2017

“Ingenious in its staging, compelling in its message, and impeccable in its delivery...It is immediately apparent that we are in for one inventive and riveting show…The entire cast succeeds in distinguishing the array of archetypal personalities…Soulpepper’s superb re-envisioning of Maugham’s masterpiece is an impressive summer treat, a fully integrated and thoroughly captivating example of the best of experimental theater.”
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The Globe and Mail
April 25th, 2014
For a previous production

“A flowing and eerily gorgeous production…If ‘Of Human Bondage’ occasionally seems no more than melodrama, you can place some of that blame on the book’s original author…But, in Thiessen’s adaptation, Maugham’s characters are occasionally gratuitously flattened as the narrative is necessarily telescoped…Schultz’s musical production is such a pleasure, however, it’s easy to overlook the flaws in the story or storytelling.”
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S
April 25th, 2014
For a previous production

“A rare thing – a fine stage adaptation of a complex novel…While Thiessen has provided a concise, insightful text, what takes this production out of the ordinary is Albert Schultz’s remarkable direction…Schultz’s experimental approach reaps enormous benefits not only by showcasing the versatility of his cast but by transforming a narrative into a visually exciting, consistently imaginative theatrical experience."
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The Star
April 25th, 2014
For a previous production

“The long and complex novel has been brought to the stage with imagination and daring by director Albert Schultz and his gifted team of artists. Much of what they do is simply wonderful, but there are elements about it that seriously need to be addressed…It’s a mostly exhilarating journey until intermission, but the second half doesn’t quite live up to the rest…And while there are many wonderful performances from the cast, there are a few that damage things seriously."
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