Heartbreak House

See it if you are a fan of one of the excellent actors in it; want to see a live performance of a Shaw classic.

Don't see it if you prefer your Shaw "pure" & will dislike some changes that detract from the production., especially the slapstick bits.

Also I really do not understand what the director was thinking. This production is "set" in the basement of a London theatre in 1940 while an air raid is going on. The audience then joins singing World War I songs. (Yep, songs from the wrong war.)Then this whole conceit is just dropped until the intermission.

This play was set in a particular time--post World War I--and IMO a lot of what it is saying about the state of the UK at the time just makes no sense if we are supposed to believe it is being performed during WWII. Moreover, one actor plays several different characters--including a husband and wife--in a slapstick manner that seems to channeling Kate Hamill's Sense & Sensibility, Vanity Fair, Pride & Prejudice. Imo, one thing a Shaw play that was meant to be Chekovian should not use is slapstick. The play is redeemed --to the extent it is--by some good acting.One practical warning: the rear seats were freezing so bring a sweater or jacket.
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See it if you want to see a rarely done Shaw piece done with an interesting conceit.

Don't see it if you expect the play to be done in either a straight forward serious style OR comedy.

Also The actors all seem to be in different plays. Some being silly, some too serious, some breezing right by actually written jokes in the text, and some over doing it. I think the production could be leagues better with a more uniform tone.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of Shaw. Some great lines and his ideas are still relevant today. Talented cast is giving it their all.

Don't see it if 3rd preview feels like a work in progress. Framing device of play within a play makes no sense and doesn't work. Cut 20-30 minutes.

See it if you like intimate, smart parlor dramas; great ensembles—everyone has moments to shine; the fab Karen Ziemba (who's wowed us since Contact)!

Don't see it if you don't like dense scripts, or bits of audience interaction, or lengthy productions—second half drags at the end, so endurance is a must!

See it if You're a fan of Alison Fraser or Jeff Hiller. Or you want to see a Shaw play that I doubt is performed very often.

Don't see it if You're expecting a show with a single tone throughout. There are drastic shifts and all the actors seem like they're performing in 3 plays.

See it if you want to see Alison Frasier camping it up or Karen Ziemba looking lovely. Stars are the attraction. The frame doesn't work; show is dull.

Don't see it if you want to see a really effective staging of this play. It is a difficult one, no doubt, but this version doesn't work. Seemed indulgent.

See it if You love GBS plays and actors capable of rendering his dense thicket of words into melody and meaning. A classic even more relevant today.

Don't see it if You don't enjoy long wordy plays with a heavy dose of Britishness. Pluses for me but not to everyone's liking.

See it if You like to laugh throughout a play and want to see great actors. You find a sing-a-long fun.

Don't see it if You want to see a serious Shaw play.

See it if If you love Shaw...every word of it.

Don't see it if You are looking for a quick moving show that keeps you on the edge of your seat

See it if You have never before seen this rarely-performed play and don't mind quite a few missed lines and confusions or a slow first act.

Don't see it if You saw a Broadway or London performance and would rather not see excellent actors do worse than they'd do with more preparation. Very long.

Also 1st act started twice; Alison Fraser, as Lady Ariadne Utterwood, said she could not go on, seemed to faint & was carried offstage by Director David Staller. This aroused audience confusion.

Conceived as a 1941 Shaw production at a London theater that had just been bombed. Supposedly the concept is based on real events, but a quick Google search found nothing on a 1941 theater bombing at which Heartbreak House played.

In any case, the false start, plus several more flubbed lines in the 1st act & more in the 2nd made this show less than stellar, which it obviously could and should be. But just wasn't.

Terry Teachout raved in the Sept. 14, 2018 WSJ. I don't know what he was thinking.

In previews, it was lame, to put it mildly.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Shaw and must see his plays. Otherwise, find something else to do -- anything will be better than this confusing play.

Don't see it if want a theater experience where what is being said on stage and why makes some sense. I just could not understand what was going on or why.

See it if you want a thought provoking and funny show; great performances and casting

Don't see it if it is a bit long and may be confusing to some

See it if the show is tweaked & fine tuned. In the absence of that, the show (as is) had true moments of wonderful comedic acting.

Don't see it if you'd rather not sit in a tiny, sub-zero theater for 2 hr/45 mins (includes intermission), & you don't like actors playing multiple roles.

Also I really do hope the writers rework this show; it has such promise. The show was too long and meandered at times, which detracted from the performances (and I started to get restless). I thought the acting was good all the way around. However, Hiller was very good, and Fraser was an absolute standout. She was fantastic. I loved her portrayal of an uppity English aristocrat (she did it superbly). Her performance tickled the hell out of me.... Read more Read less

See it if You like Shaw and fine acting.

Don't see it if You aren’ charmed by Shaw

See it if You enjoy dated British fluff and can sit through it painfully. British accents are forced and hard to understand at times. Silly and annoyi

Don't see it if You have something more worthy of seeing. Hard to engage in. Confusing and “who cares”. Left at intermission. Enjoy Mint Theater better.

See it if You love Shaw and have never seen this play. Enthusiastic cast.

Don't see it if Much too long and poorly directed. Poor choice in using one actor in multiple roles that adds unnecessary slapstick and distracts

See it if you are a GBS fan and if you like sing alongs

Don't see it if you don't like long shows. it's 2 hours 40 minutes

See it if you enjoy Shaw or awkwardly manipulated Shaw. One of the man members of the excellent cast - still getting those accents.

Don't see it if it's hard for you to watch a talented cast try to work awkward direction, staging and device. Concept falls away, confusing and tacked on.

Also Direction/staging felt amateur to a professional cast trying to make it work.
Ikea lanterns on the set odd. Additional lighting could be helpful. Feels like a small professional theater black-box Shaw with an unnecessary framing device, less professional staging/direction - and a cast to root for. It's cold in there.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a fantastic cast in a first rate production in a play I found to be a little confusing and lacking dramatic conflict

Don't see it if you don't like Shaw or get impatient with long winded plays that seemingly fail to make a point.

See it if I wouldn't recommend it. The actors tried hard but couldn't compensate for poor directing. This production does not do Shaw justice.

Don't see it if you don't have patience for some amateurish choices. Full disclosure: I was there for the second performance. And I left at intermission.

Also I love Shaw, and have seen some wonderful productions of his work. This was not one of them. For the first time in my life, I left at intermission.

They've chosen a cheesy and contrived framing device, which also sticks the cast with a set that has nothing to do with the play itself.

Five minutes into the show, one of the actresses got lost in the middle of a monologue, then collapsed dramatically. It was not part of the play. The director came onstage and stalled for 5 minutes, then they resumed. Apparently, her corset was too tight. That rocky start may have thrown all the actors off.

The cast did not seem to know their lines well, and I was constantly worried that someone would get lost and embarrass him/herself. The pacing was slow and much of the humor was lost in delivery. Almost every directorial choice was poor.

I was really looking forward to seeing this play, and was disappointed in what I saw. I do anticipate that it will improve at least somewhat as the run continues.... Read more Read less

See it if you're curious to see dedicated NY theatre favorites trying their hand at Shaw.

Don't see it if awful misinterpretation & rewrite - the director has imposed some cockamamie idea that he doesn't even carry through - disappointing mess.

See it if You want to see a period piece with a talented ensemble cast.

Don't see it if You can’t sit still for more than two and a half hours and follow the silly peregrinations of the story.

See it if you like intelligent GBS plays that are sharply written, funny, examine human behavior and can accept the premise that the play's setting

Don't see it if you only like fast-paced plays and have no patience for the slow pace & witty repartee of GBS in this new poorly conceived adaptation of HH!

Also has been changed from Edwardian England to the London blitz of 1940. The play "Heartbreak House" is being performed in the Ambassadors Theatre when a siren goes off and the play is stopped. Shelter is sought and the audience is asked to join in by singing famous wartime songs with the cast. Song sheets are provided and a camaraderie is created setting up a foundation for the sharp jabs and hilarious antics that follow. However the play is too slow and poorly paced at times. About 20 minutes should be cut! All the acting is very good but Allison Fraser & Jeff Hiller are standouts!!... Read more Read less

See it if don't mind all the tinkering with classic Shaw.

Don't see it if are looking for good direction. The poor actors are at sea and pushing to compensate for an unfocused production.

Also Some of the choices here are bizarre and there are more than a few times when the director doesn't seem to know how to stage this play in this small space.... Read more Read less

See it if It was only first performance so not fair to judge but I found it to be slow and uneven. The theatre was absolutely freezing ! Uncomfortable

Don't see it if You don’t like Shaw. Wordy and VERY long!!! Neededcutting in my opinion.Really did not enjoy this despite seasoned cast.