Philadelphia, Here I Come!

What the popular press had to say...

"Exile and emigration are constant themes of Irish drama. But Brian Friel's 1964 play, beautifully directed by Lyndsey Turner, lends fresh life to a stock situation in two ways: by giving voice to the hero's alter ego, and by focusing on the power of unarticulated feeling. This, as Friel himself once said, is as much a play about love as emigration.."
Michael Billington for The Guardian

"A great production."
Jeremy Austin for The Stage

"A fine piece of ensemble work...Josie Rourke's programming in her first year at the Donmar continues to be impressive and stimulating"
Ian Shuttleworth for The Financial Times

"Gar is not intrinsically a very interesting young man but the tensions in his psyche are absorbingly portrayed. To do this Friel splits him in half; we see Gar's public and private selves played by two different actors, who trade questions and ripostes. The experiment is Friel's triumph, and he is beautifully served by the cast.."
Henry Hitchings for The Evening Standard