Rotterdam NYC Reviews and Tickets

"An amiable, if superficial, thing. Sitcoms thrive on identity crises and 'Rotterdam's' chock-full of them...Brittain takes a sitcom tone, one that makes a hefty issue immediately accessible, at the cost of complexity and credibility...The script can feel more like a public infomercial than decent drama. It's all superficial and over-simplification...Yet, a committed, sparky and engaging cast keep it watchable, carving out characters you care for, despite disbelieving."
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"Brittain has written four wonderful characters, the central couple giving McCarthy and Martine the chance to put in two powerful performances...While the play sensitively probes the difficulties of being gay and of being transgender, Brittain never lets the seriousness drown out the humour...Brittain’s play is another reminder – warm, witty and wise – of the stupidity of thinking that there are only two genders. He has an eye for tenderness."
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"Brittain’s warm-hearted new play manages to speak eloquently about a complex issue while at the same time being properly laugh-out-loud funny. It’s an arresting combination...There’s also delicacy and truth to the writing–this is a very human play, one that never feels overtly issue-driven or forced. The central tangle of relationships in Donnacadh O’Briain’s production is shaded and emotionally engaging, and there are strong performances all round."
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"There is lots bubbling behind the sitcom exterior of a play that is often very funny, engaging and sharply observant about human nature, but Brittain’s facility for writing engaging dialogue means that he doesn’t always dig as deeply into the characters as the subject demands...O’Briain’s production has a pleasing, pop-like shininess but he does let things get a bit shouty...Even if you can’t quite believe the individuals or their relationships, there is plenty to enjoy in the journey."
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"Brittain’s lively, sensitive, hard-hitting piece about love, gender and sexuality. Brittain handles complex issues with great honesty and thoughtfulness, but also with a refreshing amount of wit...Donnacadh O’Briain’s confident production maintains an ideal equilibrium between all elements in the writing. There’s much admirable, agonized work from Martine as Fiona/Adrian, but even better is McCarthy...A compelling evening’s theatre."
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"A fascinating story takes us inside four surprisingly complex characters. The script is incisive and extremely funny, but never loses sight of its central theme...The cast brought the story to life with eye-catching performances throughout. Alice McCarthy is a pure delight...'Rotterdam' works like a dream because it presents the audience with brilliant characters and a flowing script that left us itching for the next line; always truthful but often humorous."
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"It’s all a bit 'As You Like It,' set in Ikea. In the best possible sense...Donnacadh O’Briain’s production has plenty of the sitcom about it, pulsing with electro-pop and opening with a slow-start scene of predictable, domestic bickering. It gets subtler, which has a lot to do with two impressive central performances...A sequence of reveals in early scenes feels like an unsuccessful segue into melodrama. Yet there’s too much to enjoy here for any of this to matter much."
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"Sharply written, very funny and faultlessly acted...This is a heavy topic for a play, yet the laughter is never far away and no time does the audience feel hectored or preached at...The comedy perhaps works better in this play than the discussion of sexual politics and gender identity. But the comedy works very well indeed, and the exploration of the meaning of gender and how much or little that constrains and shapes wider identity is far from trivial."
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