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Irish Post
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Dysfunctional Irish family goes under the spotlight in McPherson's The Brightening Air
A DYSFUNCTIONAL Irish family and its secrets, foibles and quirks are at the heart of Conor McPherson's latest play. Set in Co. Sligo in 1981, The Brightening Air centres on three siblings as they reunite in their family home, where uncomfortable conversations are due to be had. Dublin-born McPherson, who has written and directed the play, has assembled an epic cast for its world premiere, with Chris O'Dowd, Rosie Sheehy and Brian Gleeson among them. Chris O'Dowd stars as Dermot in The Brightening Air (Pic: Manuel Harlan) In the grandeur of the lofty Old Vic stage, we meet the family as they prepare their dilapidated farmhouse for the arrival of their blind old uncle Pierre, played by Seán McGinley, a former clergyman who has since been ex-communicated by the church. The house is still home for two of the siblings, namely the put-upon Stephen (Gleeson) and his younger, autistic sister Billie (Sheehy) whom he minds. The eldest son, Dermot (O'Dowd) is the only one of the three to have left the family home and started a business and a family of his own. Rosie-Sheehy as Billie (left) and Hannah Morrish as Lydia (Pic: Manuel Harlan) Yet his return for the get-together brings plenty more baggage to throw into the mix, with his estranged wife Lydia, played by Hannah Morrish, and his new flame Freya (Aisling Kearns) both also in attendance for the day that is in it. There are excellent performances across the board, as the scene is set for the family turmoil that is about to unravel itself. Comic jibing and sibling banter erupts as the brothers and sister find themselves back in one room together again. But it's not long before those interactions turn into emotional stand-offs and the arrival of neighbours and family friends flushes out past heartaches and the jilted lovers among them. It is precisely the bringing together of everyone that sparks a series of events that drag the entire family into waters new. Old secrets are dredged up when new plans are announced and while, in true McPherson style, there is comic relief at every corner, there are many heart-wrenching scenes too. Brian Gleeson as Stephen (PicL Manuel Harlan) Lydia is so desperate to win back the love of her husband that she will put her faith in the magic of the nearby well water to enchant him. Stephen has soldiered for so long in the lonely old farmhouse that he has lost all interest in the goings on outside of it. And Dermot, for all his new clothes and string of young fancy women, is still searching desperately for his path, much to the distress of his discarded wife. Uncle Pierre, played by Seán McGinley, takes centre stage in McPherson's latest play (Pic: Manuel Harlan) But it is Billie in her clarity of sight and her ability to call out exactly what is happening around her, who is the most striking character of them all. When on the stage Sheehy fills it with her powerful, polished showcase of the unpredictable, emotional and eccentric youngest sibling. When together on stage, Sheehy, O'Dowd and Gleeson are so well connected and in tune with one another that they make for an utterly believable family trio. Through them, McPherson's latest saga proves itself a thoughtful, thorough and poignant dissection of a traditional Irish family, where, ultimately, everyone is unhappy with their lot. The Brightening Air runs at The Old Vic until June 14. For tickets visit
Glasgow Times
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Mrs Doubtfire musical coming to Glasgow's King's Theatre
Mrs Doubtfire will open in the city from January 12 to January 31, 2027. Based on the beloved film, the heartwarming comedy follows Daniel Hillard, an out-of-work actor who, after losing custody of his children in a messy divorce, disguises himself as Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate bid to stay close to them. (Image: Manuel Harlan) READ MORE: Huge lines form for new Chinese tea sensation in Glasgow's West End As Daniel's new alter ego takes on a life of her own, he discovers more about fatherhood than he ever expected. The UK and Ireland tour will star Gabriel Vick as Daniel Hillard, following his acclaimed West End performances. READ MORE: Glasgow Times' Agony Aunt trapped in Spanish power outrage Vick said: "I am delighted to be bringing the beloved Mrs Doubtfire direct from London to audiences throughout the UK and Ireland. "The musical is full of the moments you know and love from the film, and also packed with brilliant new songs. "It is heartwarming, hilarious and going to be so much fun for the whole family. "See you there, Poppets!' (Image: Manuel Harlan) READ MORE: Huge techno festival set to release final tickets this week Producer Jamie Wilson added: "On behalf of Kevin McCollum and myself, producing Mrs. Doubtfire in the West End has been an incredible experience, and we're delighted that audiences across the country will now get to embrace everybody's favourite nanny for themselves. "Gabriel Vick's performance as Mrs Doubtfire is truly remarkable, bringing so much warmth and charm to the character. "He is a true star on stage, and we are so proud to have him leading our talented cast." Four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks will direct the production, with choreography by Lorin Latarro and music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.
Irish Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Brightening Air at the Old Vic review: Conor McPherson's outstanding new play turns convention on its head
The Brightening Air Old Vic Theatre, London ★★★★★ The Brightening Air, a new play by Conor McPherson , the writer best known for haunting works that blend the numinous and the normal in dingy, drink-soaked Irish rooms, begins where most plays end: with the descent of a curtain. This is apt for a production that reconfigures theatrical devices and Irish folk tales to explore how we cope when our dreams collide with reality. The play, a nod to Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, is set in a crumbling house that one wouldn't want to live in at the best of times, let alone in Sligo in the 1980s. Yet that's where we find the emotionally gnarled Stephen ( Brian Gleeson ) and his brash sister, Billie (Rosie Sheehy), mucking along in the family home and insulating each other from the world. They're helped occasionally by a sturdy local lad, Brendan (Eimhin FitzGerald Doherty), who likes Billie despite her best efforts. The siblings' not-quite-peace is disturbed by the arrival of Uncle Pierre ( Seán McGinley ), a newly blind, 'more or less excommunicated' priest, and their older brother, Desmond ( Chris O'Dowd ), who owns a string of successful cafes and wears the leather jacket to prove it. Pierre has his long-suffering help, Elizabeth ( Derbhle Crotty ), in tow, while Desmond has unwisely come with both his wife, Lydia (Hannah Morrish), and Freya (Aisling Kearns), his 19-year-old employee and lover. READ MORE The Brightening Air: Chris O'Dowd and Hannah Morrish. Photograph: Manuel Harlan As if the arrival of unwanted family members weren't bad enough, the interlopers seem to have designs on the house. By early afternoon the group is drinking, swearing inventively and talking about dead relatives. It's an Irish play, all right. Yet The Brightening Air, which McPherson also directs, is far from conventional. Beneath the tropes (there's a dramatic reading of a previously undisclosed will), mundane familial bitterness (recriminations over which sibling refused to install a downstairs toilet) and hilarious one-liners (most of them unprintable), the play explores the mysteries of living. The Brightening Air: Rosie Sheehy and Hannah Morrish. Photograph: Manuel Harlan It asks why people decide to stay or go, why we love those who don't love us back, what we inherit from family and whether we can shake off 'the life that's on us'. Above all, the play is interested in how ordinary people cope with not knowing the answer to those questions. Some rely on the uncanny, like Lydia, who hopes that water from an enchanted well will make her husband love her again. Others, with no stories left to tell themselves, decide that to live is simply 'to forget'. The Brightening Air, by Conor McPherson, at the Old Vic in London. Photograph: Manuel Harlan The pervasive sense of a dream just out of reach is amplified by Rae Smith's beautiful, sparse set, made up of diaphanous fabrics and scattered furniture, and by Mark Henderson's subtle lighting design that eventually creates nothing out of something. The excellent ensemble cast delights and devastates throughout, and the occasionally stilted direction of the early scenes never really threatens the piece as a whole. In one wistful moment Elizabeth says that life is like ice, and people use pleasure to skate over the pain. This play certainly doesn't. The Brightening Air may glide along, propelled by laughter and comforting theatrical conventions, but McPherson always insists that we look below the surface. The Brightening Air is at the Old Vic , London, until Saturday, June 14th
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oedipus is London's compelling and edgy new drama that brings a Greek tragedy to life
Oedipus starring Rami Malek and Indira Varma has finally arrived at the Old Vic and the tension was palpable from start to finish. Ella Hickson's adaptation of the Greek tragedy Oedipus, starring Rami Malek as Oedipus and Indira Varma as Jocasta, is currently playing at The Old Vic Theatre until March 29. Ella Hickson's adaptation of the Greek tragedy Oedipus is currently playing at The Old Vic Theatre until March 29. (Image: Manuel Harlan) The scene is set with a cacophony of dramatic drum beats as an ensemble of dancers make their way briskly across the stage, acting as a silently moving Greek chorus, with choreography from Hofesh Shechter. The show was quite unlike anything I've experienced before at The Old Vic, or indeed on any stage, with a combination of theatrics and dance that skilfully punctuated each scene. The scene is set with a cacophony of dramatic drum beats as an ensemble of dancers make their way briskly across the stage. (Image: Manuel Harlan) The set had no bells or whistles, with a simple blank canvas of dark grey walls, which really added to the foreshadowing of our protagonist's downfall. Rami gave a truly striking performance of Oedipus, whilst Indira's performance skilfully peeled back the layers of desperation as her tragic backstory is revealed. Rami gave a truly striking performance of Oedipus, whilst Indira's performance skilfully peeled back the layers of desperation as her tragic backstory is revealed. (Image: Manuel Harlan) Cecilia Noble's performance as Tiresias is a lively, witty and humorous contrast against the sombre themes of the play, and her performance takes a drastic switch when the truth of Oedipus is revealed. The performance was a compelling and timeless portrayal of one of a family torn apart by cruel fate and was riveting to watch. Oedipus will be playing at The Old Vic until March 29 with tickets starting from £15.
