Two-time Tony winner Matthew Broderick stars in the Irish Repertory Theatre's revival of Conor McPherson's psychological thriller about a man plagued by visions of his dead wife's ghost. More…
'Shining City' is a haunting play, dense with urban lives that brush against one another while never making contact. John (Broderick) seeks help from Ian, a counselor, after the unexpected death of his wife. Though shaken by the loss, John is troubled by more than just grief; he has begun to see his wife’s ghost in their home. As their sessions unfold, secrets and lies are exposed in this play in which a simple tale turns out to be anything but. 'Shining City' reflects on the guilt, anxiety, and restlessness of two lonely men.
See it if You would enjoy an excellent play about the struggles of middle aged people searching for connection, identity, and renewal.
Don't see it if You are looking for lighter material or something more appropriate for younger audiences.
See it if you enjoy plays with good dialogue and very little action. Broderick is giving his best performance in eons. Kudos to the supporting cast!
Don't see it if you need a play with a lot of action. Also, if you can't focus on excellent writing.
See it if You want to see Matthew Broderick perform perfectly timed monologues in a psychological thriller with twists & turns; Great Supporting cast
Don't see it if You expect Hitchcock Expect a smoothly written script with perfect character development
See it if you want to see Matthew Broderick's best performance in years!
Don't see it if you don't like ambiguity.
See it if writer McPherson's ability to find haunting poetry in day-to-day exchanges is up your alley. The production's strong.
Don't see it if you want more pyrotechnics. The play's shine is dimmed by a fairly flat staging & Broderick's inability to connect w others.
See it if Interesting plot but flawed. Fine direction, good acting especially Matthew Broderick,at Irish Rep.
Don't see it if complicated and strange Irish plots are not to your taste.
See it if You've never been to Irish Rep before, never seen a Conor McPherson play before, simply adore Mathew Broderick.
Don't see it if If you want to see McPherson at his best, because this production won't deliver on that. It's a good production, but far from a great one.
See it if You believe that Matthew Broderick can delve deeper into character, want an enjoyable , engaging theatre experience with a few surprises.
Don't see it if Aren't interested in the struggles of priests and grieving men.want a passive experience.
See it if you love Matthew Broderick (who is still a one-note actor, even here) or if you want to see the newly renovated Irish Rep theatre
Don't see it if you want plays to be about something interesting or important or historic, or something...anything at all. This was meant to be ghost story
See it if You want to see a better version than the Broadway one of ten years ago
Don't see it if Lots and lots of unfinished sentences bother you
See it if you enjoy (mostly) well-acted slow-burn Irish contemporary drama with a supernatural bent or are a devoted Broderick fan.
Don't see it if You can't tolerate Broderick onstage. He has lengthy monologues, and his flat, awkward performance nearly scuttles this whole thing.
See it if You like a little bit creepy.
Don't see it if You can't wait for the final punch.
See it if You love Matthew Broderick and you try and see everything he does. He is subtle and intelligent here, but miscast. A slow telling of play.
Don't see it if You've seen the play done elsewhere, likely with more life and a better mastery or Irish oratorical traditions. Too dry, not haunting or fun
See it if you can score a ticket
Don't see it if you have no sense of humor
See it if you like short, atmospheric, talky plays. It should be an acting showcase, but Broderick's too focused on his accent (he did well) to act.
Don't see it if you want meaning. This is mostly for entertainment; the plotting makes no sense. The Irish Rep's renovation is nice, and the set is lovely.
See it if Matthew Broderick is in good form. The other two leads are great. It is nice to see this play in an intimate site
Don't see it if You don't want to see the reborn Irish Rep. new seats, loos & elimination of the side seats.although I was one of the few who did like them
See it if you like Matthew Broderick or O'Connor, psychological ghost stories, close up views of crumbling marriages, shocking surprises
Don't see it if you don'l like stories told that ramble off the point, plays about psychiatrists, crumbling relationships & characters immobilized by fear
See it if Matthew Broderick, who summered as a child in Ireland, acts in a pretty good brogue. He knew his lines. I liked his therapy monologue.
Don't see it if But a friend thought Matthew delivered it in a monotone. The star, though, is Billy Carter, an Irishman, as the conflicted therapist. Spooky
See it if You like Conor McPherson's writing and enjoy a good serious play.
Don't see it if You are expecting Matthew Broderick to be funny. It is a drama. He plays a complicated man with minimal facial expression and a foul mouth.
See it if You want to think. Broderick (not my favorite) is perfect. He fits the role. Wonderful thoughtful play. Good writer.Lots to talk about after
Don't see it if You want light fluff. This has laughter but is very serious.
See it if You love seeing movie stars on stage even if they're badly miscast and their performance is barely mediocre.
Don't see it if You don't like long-winded stories told in a monotone. I deserve therapist fees for sitting through MB's boring confessional monologues.
See it if you're a fan of McPherson; if you'd like a deeply thoughtful [sometimes funny] exploration of people's inability to connect or communicate.
Don't see it if you want a show that's light, unchallenging, or comedic, or resent any reference to the supernatural. A lot of talk, a lot of mystery.
See it if you would enjoy a play which creates two somewhat undefined characters that you want to know more about
Don't see it if you don't like plays which have little action, lots of talk (mostly well-written), and feel somewhat unfinished