The Ferryman

The Ferryman is a highly engaging play that is full of rich emotion. It has been directed to perfection by the famous Sam Mendes. Having worked on several scripts together before for movies such as Spectre and Skyfall, this is the first time Butterworth and Mendes have collaborated to create a theatrical masterpiece.

As with many of his plays, Butterworth holds nothing back when it comes to the play’s glaring depiction of corruption and tragedy. The cast is simply impeccable when it comes to the performance. Every character is fleshed out exquisitely and brought to life in intriguing ways by the talented performers on stage. This is a play that is certainly worth a watch at Broadway this season.

The Story

The play begins with a brief prologue that is set in the day previous to the events of the play to establish some context. A body has been discovered in a quagmire in County Louth which is right across the border. The body belongs to Seamus Carney, a twenty year old who had disappeared on New Year’s Day of 1972 — he was shot in the head. It is speculated that this was due to his defection from the Irish Republican Army or the IRA. Caitlin, who is Seamus’s widow, along with Oisin, who is her son, now have to stay with Quinn, Seamus’s brother. Quinn was also a man who also had associations with the IRA in the past. However, he spent all his life supporting his family that comprised of his ill wife and six children. The others who stay with them are Quinn’s uncle, Pat, and his aunts Patricia and Maggie. Another man who is present in the midst of all this drama is Tom Kettle, an extremely rich English handyman, who proves to be a source of enjoyment for the children.
Throughout the play, Quinn holds an unspoken affection for Caitlin. They try to live their lives normally, carrying out the typical harvest celebrations. Their lives change, however, when Muldoon, an influential person in the IRA, arrives at their home in order to restrict any damage to their cause created from discovering Seamus’s body.

Good for

Lovers of Suspense and Drama | Jez Butterworth Fans

Critics Reviews

“Jez Butterworth pulls another rabbit from the hat.”
– The Guardian

“A feast of intricate storytelling, the Ferryman is absorbing, soulful, and ultimately shattering.”
– The Evening Standard

“It sold out in one day. All the fuss was largely justified.”
- The Independent

Please note that these are for a previous production in London.