We round up the reviews for Conor McPherson’s new play, running in London until the 14th June.
WhatsOnStage: *** “It’s a frustrating play, always watchable, so nearly great, so nearly soaring, yet somehow held earthbound by the weight of its intent.”
Time Out: **** “McPherson’s great gift is how he’s able to integrate this stuff into his storytelling, how you’d never say the moments of out-and-out strangeness are actually the point of his plays. Indeed, the heart of The Brightening Air remains Sheehy’s tough but intensely vulnerable Billie, who is only touched by the otherworldly side of things obliquely (perhaps her life is strange enough already).”
Broadway World: ** “There’s a good, tight three-handed play in there, but the problems arise as the narrative expands beyond that not quite ménage à trois.”
London Theatre Reviews: *** “The Brightening Air isn’t groundbreaking or particularly challenging Theatre. There are some good performances throughout and it shows what can happen in life if you end up stuck in a situation that you aren’t happy with but can’t find a way out of it.”
The Reviews Hub: *** “McPherson’s writing blends spiky wit with lyrical reflections, and the characters are brought to life vividly by uniformly superb performances. We may have seen it all before, but we can feel content to experience it again.”
The Standard: **** “McPherson is a truly singular writer, who is always probing the boundaries of mood and genre. The biggest ghost haunting this show is him. There are narrative and folkloric themes that predate his breakthrough The Weir, and resonances with the hardscrabble 2017 musical he created from Bob Dylan’s back catalogue, Girl from the North Country.”
Theatre Weekly: **** “It is a production that envelops you in the warmth and melancholy of rural Ireland, delivering a family drama that is as evocative as it is quietly magical.”
The Stage: **** “Conor McPherson’s elegiac examination of faith and desire shines.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/stage/the-brightening-air/