The Seafarer (Irish Repertory Theatre)
The Seafarer (Irish Repertory Theatre)
Closed 2h 20m NYC: Chelsea
79% 40 reviews
79%
(40 Ratings)
Positive
90%
Mixed
10%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Great writing, Entertaining, Funny

About the Show

Irish Repertory Theatre's revival of this 2008 Tony-nominated play stars Matthew Broderick as Mr. Lockhart, a mysterious visitor to Dublin whose arrival turns a game of poker into a perilous gamble for one player's soul.

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Critic Reviews (25)

The New York Times
April 18th, 2018

"O'Reilly's production is perhaps a bit too scrupulously realistic...But if you're willing to forgive the absence of miracles, this 'Seafarer' offers a lucid and straightforward reading of a play that seems to grow only richer with increased acquaintance...McPherson's dialogue continually coaxes poetry out of mundane conversation. And the cast here delivers such speech confidently and entertainingly...What's lacking is the sense of a surprising grace at work within these garrulous drunkards."
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Time Out New York
April 18th, 2018

"Vivid performances, believable boozing and McPherson's gorgeous dialogue. But there's a hole just under the waterline, a single error that makes the play founder. In an otherwise strong company, visiting star Broderick is both too obvious to ignore and too wrong to right...Without a serious antagonist, the piece lapses into atmosphere...The play can't function without the Devil, and he's just not there: not in the broad strokes, not in the details."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
April 18th, 2018

"A solid, entertaining revival...'The Seafarer' slowly unfolds its murkier depths under a surface of deceptively casual banter. It's not a play where much 'happens'. Its characters' primary actions are talking and drinking...As Mr. Lockhart himself, Broderick is an interesting choice, compelling if not always viscerally effective...But Broderick still does right by the character...O'Reilly's production is a generous, well-told rendition of one chapter in that immortal gambler's story."
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The Wall Street Journal
April 19th, 2018

"This being an Irish play, you can probably guess without too much difficulty exactly what the debt is and who has come to collect it, and it is the highest of tributes to Mr. McPherson’s professional skill that he still contrives to successfully set off a firecracker of surprise at evening’s end...Five performances that are as deeply rooted in felt life as it’s possible to be...No company in America supplies it more regularly and consistently...What they do is what great theater should be."
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The Hollywood Reporter
April 18th, 2018

"O'Reilly demonstrates a clear affinity for the playwright with this authentic-feeling and well-acted production. The ensemble delivers fully lived-in performances, mining their characters' drunken bombast and foolishness for all its comic worth...The problem, sad to say, is Broderick...Without a true sense of danger emanating from the character, the play's dramatic urgency gets lost. It's hard to be intimidated by a poker-playing Devil who's so obviously bluffing."
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Lighting & Sound America
April 19th, 2018

"I'm sorry to say that Broderick's Mr. Lockhart doesn't have the faintest hint of brimstone...McPherson's writing is so powerful that at times the actor can't help making an impact...As a result, the focus shifts to Richard and the comedy of his appalling personal habits and nonstop drinking...Make no mistake: Ciarán O'Reilly has mounted a highly respectable production that is likely to please McPherson fans."
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Talkin' Broadway
April 18th, 2018

"Astutely directed by O'Reilly with a stellar cast of seasoned actors, this 'Seafarer,' which will amuse you and chasten you in equal measure...Broderick is giving a taught, understated performance as Mr. Lockhart... It's nice to see Broderick back in top form despite the observation his star presence throws off the balance of the ensemble-but only slightly... You may not think you want to see an Irish tale of alcoholism, loss and redemption, but you'd be wrong."
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New York Stage Review
April 18th, 2018

"A spectator may start thinking that abutting the realism with the surreal is awkward. I definitely have that impression. Somehow the juxtaposition keeps chipping away at complete enjoyment. None of that compromises what director O’Reilly has unfolding...Some of the best ensemble acting carrying on these days is hopping on the Irish Repertory stage. It’s the kind of acting that defies acting and just is."
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