In this new adaptation of Shaw’s play, it’s the first days of the London Blitz. With the performance interrupted, the cast and audience have joined together to seek shelter in the theatre’s basement. More…
To entertain the crowd, the cast performs Shaw’s most vital paean to resistance and perseverance against tyranny, 'Heartbreak House.' Inspired by actual events as lived by Hermione Gingold during the WWII’s darkest days, this new approach strives to make Shaw’s masterpiece more timely than ever. 'Heartbreak House' brings a wildly disparate group of people together in the English countryside over a September weekend to make major decisions about their future. No stone is left unturned as each character is forced to come to terms with his or her past while finding a way to move forward in the face of the coming crisis.
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 produc... Read more Read less
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 t... 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 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 ... 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 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. Th... Read more Read less
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 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 i... 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. Thi... 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 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. T... 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 tim... 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.