"The seriously imbalanced new play about love, hatred, and redemption...Barry has an uncommon gift for finding hypnotic music in this perspective. And when his language is delivered by consummate Irish actors like Buggy...it’s hard not to sink into a state of contented sadness that you half wish would go on forever...At a certain point in this 100-minute production, the plot that brings its two characters into convergence takes over with increasing, strong-armed clumsiness."
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“Two prisoners alternate soliloquies, taking turns and barely ever acknowledging each other...At its best, their monologue duet is purely beautiful; at its worst, it’s still pretty lovely...The writing is packed with perfect metaphors...At times the little Theater B at 59E59 pulsates with language so intense you can feel the sonic wave breaking on your chest. If the contrivances and plot twists of the play’s second half bother you, there are two incredible performances to fall back on.”
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“A two-hander that is mesmerizing its audiences...A drama that deftly combines heartache and humor in a story that you will long remember...This is a riveting tale of youth, promise, murder, betrayal, and redemption...The play stars Buggy and Gany...These accomplished actors master Sebastian Barry's finely crafted dialogue and capture the emotional, dramatic and humorous moments of their character's stories...A bittersweet tale that must be seen.”
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“Because the playwright is Sebastian Barry, the dialogue is smoothly literary, as always a pleasure to the ear...But, because this is a Sebastian Barry play, one steels oneself for an evening of dueling monologues...If not played with total conviction, ‘On Blueberry Hill’ could come off as shamelessly contrived. But, under the direction of Jim Culleton, it's easy to travel with these characters along their occasionally implausible -- if often gorgeously described -- journey."
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"There is, in this extraordinary (if imperfect) work, a path to transcendence, involving that most challenging of virtues, forgiveness, and fellow feeling...Barry does not hold back in charting his characters’ flights of sentiment; I stopped scribbling down similes about a half hour in, my fingers exhausted...For the audience the pair of powerhouse performances on display in this production will indeed provide a thrill, and then some."
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"A tour de force for its players Niall Buggy and David Ganly. It is also a riveting experience for the audience...Completely driven by narrative with no exchange of conversation, the play nevertheless moves on a highly dramatic trajectory...Barry's writing is so beautifully crafted that we overlook the plot's stretch of credibility...You should be going if you want to see two great actors in the kind of challenging and unusual play that you won't easily forget."
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"At first we do not entirely know for certain that PJ and Christy share the same space, but eventually the play becomes one of murder, forgiveness and redemption. Aside from the highly poeticized language, the play also uses a great many Irish words that will not be readily known to American listeners (dozer, hurleys, anent, curach, palaver, screw, lag, and the first name Peadar). As Buggy's accent is working class that is another level of difficulty for non-Irish theatergoers."
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“A beautifully nuanced yet thrilling tale about loss, grief, and forgiveness...Barry’s play will leave an imprint on your heart the way a stream shapes a stone: gradually, almost imperceptibly, but unmistakably a force to be reckoned with...An unflinchingly intimate piece. Ganly and Buggy, two extraordinary performers, deliver the poetic text with ease and gravitas...A poetic play, yet one that is deeply grounded; it’s a play that captivates with patience, yet never lacks surprises."
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