The Whirligig NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (140)
See it if you're open to a serious topic and lots of dialogue punctuated with humor; great ensemble
Don't see it if you dislike non-linear storytelling or need all of your questions answered
See it if You appreciate great acting within a somewhat confusing play. Sad examination of the cycle of addiction. Norbert Leo Butz was outstanding.
Don't see it if The play doesn't totally hold together coherently; some characters seemed unnecessary, confusing. The acting was better than the play.
See it if Loved the staging, acting all good But... 80 and and a 70 produces the 75. Sets are great. Small space works well.
Don't see it if some scenes needed more projection by the actors. .. some confusion re; who is whom.. Will be better with some tender loving care.
See it if You might enjoy great acting by all with good parts that show off their ability. Or if you are currently interested in addiction issues.
Don't see it if You need to get to B if you are starting at A. This play stays at A.
See it if you want to see unfold terrific acting (Butz, especially), Linklater's progress as writer, and nuanced material re facets of drug addiction
Don't see it if you're averse to nonlinear & open-ended plots, subject of addiction & devastation that ensues, or wrenching parent-child or sibling dynamics Read more
See it if you are looking for great acting and direction. very imaginative staging. Interesting story
Don't see it if stories about drug abuse disturb you
See it if You want to see good actors at work. You want to see a new playwright taking things in new directions.
Don't see it if You don't like dysfunctional family stories.
See it if you enjoy plays about the problems of drug abuse and how it affects family and friends.
Don't see it if you want to see light hearted plays that don't require thought or have strong, complex emotional impact Read more
Critic Reviews (41)
“A touching new play…Each and everyone in this spectacularly talented cast is playing their parts with solid authenticity and exactitude...The dialogue is so smart but sometimes so hard to watch…It’s a shame that as a whole, the play doesn’t rise to the same level of solid authenticity as these few moments…As a whole, it’s convoluted and blurs the deep pain that hovers over these people…The heartbreak comes into focus every so often, but then retreats to the background.”
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“The result is anguished character after anguished character heaving and stammering and shouting in the same place for 150 minutes, minus intermission. None of the characters have anything to do but talk about all the things that are upsetting them. They are heavy issues, sure, but where is the action?...‘The Whirligig’ is structured to prevent our investment…Mamet imbues Trish with an authenticity that is lacking from the text…Grating and unfulfilling.”
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"Linklater’s characters are all well-rounded and authentic, with believable traits and rich and complex conflicts that successfully drive the engaging plot...Under Scott Elliott’s thoughtful and embracing direction, the characters 'unfold' in layers of surprising details...'The Whirligig' is a gripping psychodrama that explores the intricate dynamics of grief, forgiveness, and reconciliation...Linklater’s impressive play is a must-see."
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"Such unlikely coincidences and contrivances might have sunk completely a different production and a different new play. But Linklater manages to salvage the play’s odd mix of the forlorn, funny, and fanciful by creating appealing and playable characters, who are portrayed by a fine eight-member cast...The design team is adept at keeping the places and periods clear, and helping to infuse what on paper would seem an unrelieved dark tale with a sense of wonder."
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“Hamish Linklater's rambling but often richly listenable new play…It takes a long time to get an inkling of where the play is going, what the stakes are, or why we should be concerned enough to return for Act Two…The dialogue often has a nimble, smartass flavor that, while sometimes registering more as clever stage talk than believable conversation, nevertheless helps sustain interest and spark laughter…'The Whirligig' offers considerable meat for its actors to chew on.”
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"Linklater’s ambitious and moving new play...being given a top-notch production...Linklater’s grasp doesn’t always match his reach; the play clearly aims for (and falls short of) that perfect Chekhovian mixture of comedy and tragedy. Nonetheless, the author is to be applauded for crafting a compelling story—one brought to life here by a superb ensemble...Even when the plot falters slightly, there is always remarkable psychological acuity in how he treats familial relationships."
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“Drama doesn’t accrue. What develops instead is a series of scenes with characters constantly raising their voices…Linklater’s characters don’t so much ratchet up drama as increasingly become pains in the neck…They’re also company whose intertwining, as Linklater arranges it, can seem forced...Linklater does have a knack for pithy and frequently amusing dialogue…Some, but hardly all, of Linklater’s playwriting problems are mitigated by Scott Elliott’s direction.”
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"'That’s a lot to digest,' a character says in 'The Whirligig.' After the many plot revelations and chronology-scrambling jumps of Hamish Linklater’s new play, the audience may be inclined to agree...The cast mostly rises to the challenge and is comfortable with the tonal shifts...Scott Elliott stages this production smoothly, considering the constant, challenging changes in setting and timeline...Too bad the big picture that emerges lacks the needed emotional payoff."
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