The Man In the Woman’s Shoes NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (10)
See it if Cobbler goes on a walk to town and takes us on a gorgeous, romantic uplifting adventure. People & animals vividly portrayed w/great skill.
Don't see it if You don’t like solo slice-of-life plays. You prefer something darker and less sentimental. You want a set, music or props besides shoes.
See it if you would like to see an extraordinary actor deliver a master class in his craft—& the production & the script are very strong as well.
Don't see it if you have had enough local Irish color in your theater-going to last a lifetime. Read more
See it if Mikel Murfi’s solo portrayal of Irish village characters focusing on the relationship between Pat and Kitsy, See before I Hear You & Rejoice
Don't see it if You want a more clear delineation between characters, think animal sounds are silly, or want a plot that goes somewhere.
See it if you like one man shows. A terrific performance. I wonder how he can keep up the pace.
Don't see it if you want an action packed show or you don't like character studies.
See it if This must be seen in conjunction with its companion piece, I Hear You and Rejoice. Kitsy and Pat are lovers for the ages!
Don't see it if You don’t like solo performance pieces, Irish humor, cathartic experiences. Read more
See it if you want to enjoy the brilliance of the truly remarkable Mikel Murfi. His heartbreakingly beautiful one-man show is unforgettable. See this!
Don't see it if you don't like one-man shows, have trouble understanding Irish accents, or are not interested in stories that take place in Ireland.
See it if If you love a person who can write/tell a colorful story. Helps to have an Irish friend or family member to relate to his expressions.
Don't see it if You dislike one person shows that switch in and out of characters. Read more
See it if you love great storytelling. It's funny,simple, sweet and interesting. I sat there with a smile on my face the whole time.
Don't see it if you need big production values. This is one man and his body and his voice. He conjures animals, cars, Irish countryside and people! LOVED
Critic Reviews (11)
“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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"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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"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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"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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