To See or Not to See: The Ferryman

The Ferryman, an award-winning play from London’s West End, arrives on Broadway with a bang. Directed by Sam Mendes, this play by Jez Butterworth is everything a play should be: funny, serious, thoughtful, and heartbreaking.

In 1981 Ireland, during the famous Hunger Strikes of I.R.A. prisoners, the Carney family is preparing for the harvest. It’s a big deal each year: relatives come out to the farm from the city to help bring in the harvest, and everyone gathers for a feast, copious amounts of drink, and, of course, a bit of dancing. But that’s not all that will happen over the course of this day; there will be secrets spilled, shocking truths revealed, and a whole lot of black comedy shared.

Quinn Carney’s (Paddy Considine) brother, Seamus, disappeared a decade ago, and it’s assumed that the I.R.A. had something to do with it. Once, Quinn had been an active and integral member; now, his only role is father, husband, and farmer. That doesn’t stop Muldoon (Stuart Graham), an I.R.A. leader from meddling in the Carney household–not only with the Carneys’s city-dwelling cousins (particularly Shane, played by Tom Glynn-Carney), but with the uncovering of Seamus’s dead body.

Pictured L-R: Niall Wright (JJ Carney), Matilda Lawler (Honor Carney), Justin Edwards (Tom Kettle), Mark Lambert (Uncle Patrick), Fra Fee (Michael Carney), Willow McCarthy (Mercy Carney). Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

Quinn presides over a large brood of seven children–as well as elderly relatives and his younger brother’s wife, Caitlin Carney (Laura Donnelly) and son, Oisin (Rob Malone). His own wife, Mary (Genevieve O’Reilly), is ill and spends much of the time in her room so Caitlin has, over the years, been Quinn’s partner in the household. Uncle Patrick (Mark Lambert) tells tales, Aunt Patricia (Dearbhla Molloy) avidly listens to the hunger strike updates on the radio and holds fast to hateful anti-English notions, and Aunt Maggie Far Away (Fionnula Flanagan) goes in and out of lucidness, sharing heartbreaking stories of the past. Then, there is their English family friend and savant neighbor, Tom Kettle (Justin Edwards). He will break your heart.

Throughout the three hours and change during which The Ferryman unfolds, it is almost impossible not to be caught up in this world. The large ensemble of actors of all ages is fantastic. Whether they’re delivering jokes or solemn monologues, their emotion is infectious. They embody their characters completely; it does not take much imagination to believe they are exactly who they’re portraying. Additionally, playwright Jez Butterworth’s dialogue is such a seamless mixture of family drama, unsaid feelings, Irish lore, and political machinations that it assures that the audience never loses interest.

Another way in which the audience is kept enraptured is with the production itself. The scenic design by Rob Howell (he also did costume design) is detailed enough to keep audience members noticing new details even at the end of the show. Nick Powell’s sound design along with Peter Mumford’s lighting design create a realistic ambiance.

The Ferryman is both a small and a big play. It is small in that it focuses on individuals, on their passions, fears, and sadness. It is big in that it explores timeless topics like love, loyalty, and, most of all, hate. In short, The Ferryman is a production that you won’t soon forget.

The Ferryman is at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Click here for more information and tickets.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus