THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jez Butterworth’s magnificent THE FERRYMAN has arrived on Broadway, and it’s a meaty masterpiece

Laura Donnelly, Genevieve O’Relly, Sean Frank Coffey, and Paddy Considine in Jez Butterworth's "The Ferryman" at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Laura Donnelly, Genevieve O’Relly, Sean Frank Coffey, and Paddy Considine in Jez Butterworth’s “The Ferryman” at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Photo by Joan Marcus.

I recently caught Jez Butterworth’s meaty new play The Ferryman, which has crossed the pond and arrived in New York, where it has docked at Broadway’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The play was a triumph in London, where it had originated at the Royal Court Theatre and subsequently transferred to the West End. The play is set in Northern Ireland and tells the story of a Quinn Carney, the patriarch of a farm homestead, where he peacefully resides with three generations of Carneys (he is the father of seven!). When figures from his more zealous, violent past threaten the safety of his clan, the play triggers an unstoppable series of events.

The Ferryman marks a powerful return to form by Mr. Butterworth, who was last represented on the Great White Way by the head-scratching Hugh Jackman vehicle The River (before that, his Jerusalem, featuring a titanic performance by the great Mark Rylance, wowed New Yorkers). His latest piece just might be his masterpiece, gorgeously melding the naturalism of a kitchen sink family drama, the mythic inevitability of a Greek tragedy, the tenderness of a classic romance, and the intensity of a great gangster flick. The slow-burning three-act play is masterfully plotted, commencing in an idyllic manner and majestically building to a visceral, unforgettable climax.

Famed stage and screen director Sam Mendes sensationally directs The Ferryman, uncannily deploying forcefulness and lyricism, as needed. The Broadway production features the original London cast, and they’re simply glorious. Led by a towering and charismatic performance by Paddy Considine as Quinn Carney, the cast simply cannot be faulted. Each characterization is so convincing and beautifully realized that I forgot that I was watching actors onstage (the great performances are just too numerous to call out individually). I doubt we’ll see a finer play or a better production of a play this Broadway season. Don’t miss it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

THE FERRYMAN
Broadway, Play
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
3 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run

Categories: Broadway, Theater

Leave a Reply