The Man In the Woman’s Shoes NYC Reviews and Tickets

“Spot-on vocal ‘portrayals’ of birds, pigs, cows, and a Christmas turkey...Formerly a student at the famed École Jacques Lecoq in Paris, Murfi has the superior vocal and mimetic skills required to portray whatever he sets his mind on. But aside from technical facility—Murfi can go from a deep baritone to high falsetto when required—there is the heart and soul of an Irishman portraying some of his countrymen and women and their place in their world."
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"Murfi’s solo show, which he also scripted, follows a few hours in the life of the full-time cobbler, occasional farmer, and all-around stand-up guy Pat Farnon...The play is sentimental and as Irish as a Guinness garnished with a shamrock. But the words provide a welcome excuse for Mr. Murfi’s astonishing acting. In a scene in which three characters spoke at once, I could see all of them differently and distinctly...This is a high-top performance."
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"All Mikel Murfi has to do is walk on stage and the audience is captivated...Every movement has a purpose, and yet his performance never feels artificial or hammy. Not only do these characters come to life with ease, but they are instantly familiar as well...Philosophical without force-feeding any overarching theme or subtext...It is the humour and sweet earnestness that makes the piece not only entertaining, but also thought-provoking."
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"A one-man menagerie; Noah's Ark in human form. At the start of his self-penned solo show, he lends his voice to a whole barnyard...Murfi's a chameleon, capable of shapeshifting in a split-second or holding a three-way conversation with himself...But his performance – indeed, his whole play – does feel like a virtuosic turn, the sort of tour de force that steamrolls everything around it. He's so clamorous that you overlook writing that's heavy with blather and thick with sentiment."
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"Utilising a vivid, uniquely Irish gift for storytelling, Murfi magics up wonders from a bare stage, with just his words to help him...There are playful echoes of Beckett’s 'All That Fall' in the long walk and eccentric characters Pat encounters en route. Murfi embodies them all...with distinction. He’s blessed with an intensely vivacious face, capped by cherishably mobile eyebrows...A modern classic in the making, I’d say."
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"Murfi is a special case, a masterful storyteller who can enthral with nothing more at his disposal than a few assorted shoes...A delight to watch, Murfi has a rare ability to switch between voices and mannerisms at speed while keeping several characters distinct as they chatter, interrupt, and occasionally throw shoes at one another...By turns silly, surreal and sentimental, this is an ambling and somewhat aimless tale – it is the warmth and skill of the telling which makes it so enjoyable."
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"Murfi’s 75-minute one-man show is unashamedly nostalgic and sentimental...However, his physical versatility, ear for idiosyncratic, often poetic turns of phrase, and storyteller’s effortless command mightily impresses. Pat is intelligent, humorous, and articulate...Murfi is an astute observer of the region’s intersecting superstition and earthy common sense...It’s a persuasive argument for not overlooking those society pushes to the margins. A real gem."
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"Murfi’s one-man play is surely the first drama ever to bring to the stage a pitch-perfect representation of a dying turkey...It is a work of great charm and affection for rural Ireland and its people, performed with astonishing versatility by Murfi, who has the burly physique of a farmer, but embodies everything from a bee to Kitsey Rainey - the ferocious football coach with a heart of marshmallow - with a supple energy that is entirely captivating."
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"The chat is so relentless that it’s hard to keep up at times. But the words, language and rhythms of everyday speech all carry a sharp ring of truth to them. It helps that so much of this is very funny...The story is a slightly corny fabulation, a yarn, an excuse for Murfi to wrap his arms around a community he loves...Murfi’s vocal dexterity and physical nimbleness allow him to bear an entire town on his back. And he does it with endless compassion and verve. He’s quite a force."
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"What's beautiful about this play is its honesty. There are no gimmicks—it's a heartfelt performance about real, ordinary, simple folk doing everyday, mundane tasks. The drama comes within Murfi's writing and his use of the Irish language, its pace, tone and deep understanding of how ordinary people use it...He makes the simplest of conversations and deepest of thoughts fold seamlessly into one another in this slick and powerful performance."
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"'The Man in the Woman’s Shoes' is both hilarious and deeply moving with the most simple of story lines. Talent such as Murfi’s is rare to find – someone who can both act and write so beautifully that you feel your heart physically warming as the play progresses...It feels refreshing to sit back and enjoy the tenderness of Murfi’s performance without being on tenterhooks...It truly is amazing what a single person can do with some well-chosen words...A real joy to watch."
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