People, Places, & Things
Closed 2h 20m
People, Places, & Things
87

People, Places, & Things NYC Reviews and Tickets

87%
(116 Reviews)
Positive
96%
Mixed
3%
Negative
1%
Members say
Great acting, Great staging, Absorbing, Intense, Ambitious

About the Show

Denise Gough reprises her Olivier Award-winning role in the U.S. premiere of this drama, a raw, heartbreaking, and truthful performance about life spinning recklessly out of control.

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Member Reviews (116)

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913 Reviews | 928 Followers
85
Great acting, Great staging, Great writing, Thought-provoking, Resonant

See it if Fantastic performance, timely theme, excellent writing, fantastic staging.

Don't see it if it's a very entertaining play unless you are severely repelled by the issue of addiction. Read more

888 Reviews | 1017 Followers
84
Entertaining, Great acting, Great staging, Realistic, Relevant

See it if Real & Raw depiction of the struggle of addiction, expertly performed by Gough. The staging is spectacular. Def worth the trip to Brooklyn

Don't see it if Even if you aren't interested in addiction/mental health issues, it's an interesting story & excellent performance

982 Reviews | 343 Followers
80
Edgy, Thought-provoking, Great staging, Great acting, Clever

See it if for the stunning performance by Gough (altho she cries too often). The staging also dazzles. Addiction 101 w/a little room for hope.

Don't see it if you dislike the subject, hate loud noises/bright lights (used infrequently), you question the 12-step reliance on spirituality/surrender. Read more

546 Reviews | 1879 Followers
95
Great acting, Great staging, Great writing, Masterful, Absorbing

See it if An absolute masterclass in acting. Intense and creatively staged. Heavy topic of addiction dissected like a slap in the face. Amazing!

Don't see it if The topic of addiction is interesting to you. If you don’t like heavy plays. It is intense.

716 Reviews | 219 Followers
95
Dizzying, Edgy, Intense, Masterful, Relevant

See it if An addict journeys out of fog into her shrouded past and future. Incredible acting. Stunning staging. Gut wrenching climax with a twist.

Don't see it if You are not interested in an intense drama with dissonant sounds and flashing lights. You don't enjoy expressionist staging.

MJK
677 Reviews | 190 Followers
85
Absorbing, Great acting, Riveting, Addictive, Intense

See it if you're hooked on great theatre. Powerful acting, clever staging, riveting story, authentic characters & smart script that avoids bathos.

Don't see it if you need your fix of frivolous, feel-good theatre; or you have a hard time being confronted with unsettling portrayals of drug addiction.

535 Reviews | 488 Followers
85
Absorbing, Great staging, Great acting, Resonant, Intense

See it if you want to see some really exciting theatrical staging and production value, completely in the service of a deeply affecting play.

Don't see it if you're looking for a fun night out. This one is heavy. (But very worth it.)

520 Reviews | 107 Followers
83
Let's give it up for the entire cast

See it if you want to see a great all around cast in a very new and hip theater setting

Don't see it if you are looking for something light and cheerful. This show is about drug addiction. Read more

Critic Reviews (29)

The New York Times
October 25th, 2017

“A thrilling, devastating and, yes, deeply unreliable look at recovery...The staging gives the illusion that something dynamic and new is happening...But I kept waiting for something bigger than fine stagecraft — and even Gough’s ingenious performance — to kick in...However valuable and accurate 'People, Places' is as a portrait of the addict’s nightmare, the play really wants to weigh in on a more fundamental issue about addiction and responsibility. And on this note it seems to waffle."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
October 25th, 2017

“Macmillan’s play is a searing exploration of a still-taboo subject, brilliantly elucidated through its parallels with his own chosen art form...Emma comes roaring into chaotic, devastating life in the person of Denise Gough...The rumors are true. She is that good...Macmillan and director Herrin expertly walk the line between morbid humor and excruciating honesty...But the brilliance of ‘People, Places & Things’ is that empathy — vital though it may be — is no cure-all.”
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The Hollywood Reporter
October 25th, 2017

"It's the human core of Gough's fearless performance that keeps you glued...While the group scenes can be somewhat repetitive and overwritten, the playwright strikes a considered balance between respect for the methods of recovery and skepticism about their limitations...Herrin's directorial flourishes, impressive and bracingly physical as they often are, do tend to pad the text, making it seem stretched at two hours and 20 minutes."
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New York Daily News
October 25th, 2017

“Although elements of Duncan Macmillan’s play feel all too familiar (toxic parents, inevitable capitulation), a vivid, no-holds-barred star turn and striking staging distinguish the London import...Gough, in her New York debut, gives an explosive, wildly emotional performance. She is matched by a visceral, pulsing production that worms its way the addict’s addled brain.”
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Theatermania
October 25th, 2017

“A superbly astute theater piece...Herrin's invigorating production is unlike anything we've ever seen in terms of sheer creativity...When it seems like Macmillan’s about to take a dramatically easy route, he doesn't hesitate to throw an 11th-hour wrench into the works...This play is written with a complex understanding of real life...Gough's full-on performance is almost hard to watch at times because of this starkly authentic physical and emotional nakedness.”
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Lighting & Sound America
October 26th, 2017

"Herrin and his team have all sorts of ways of signaling the depth Emma's distress...Macmillan's bluntly unsentimental handling of Emma's recovery is hair-raisingly evident...Throughout, Gough gives the kind of performance of which careers are made - hilariously awful when drunk, dazzlingly on the offensive when sober, and, finally, moving, as she learns to let down her guard, only to absorb psychological blows...The rest of the production is equally assured."
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TheaterScene.net
November 8th, 2017

“The hype that surrounds an award-winning performance on one side of the Atlantic can often preclude its impact if and when it arrives on the other side. This is not the case, I'm happy to report, with the overwhelmingly powerful performance of Denise Gough who deservedly won the Olivier Award as Emma in ‘People, Places & Things,’ a new play by Duncan MacMillan, which premiered in London in 2015, and is now enjoying its American premiere at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn.”
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Theater Pizzazz
November 2nd, 2017

“A play that blows the top of your head off...Some of the most inventive direction I’ve seen in years, a committed company, and a sensational central performance by Denise Gough...’People, Places & Things’ offers a number of compelling insights into the desperate struggles of the addict...There’s the over-arching question: ‘What is recovery?’ Emma attempts an answer at the play’s end—and it’s worth it to take the journey with her, just to hear it.”
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