WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: The Ferryman

PREMIERED: 2017 (London)

PLAYWRIGHT: Jez Butterworth

Official poster for "The Ferryman"

Another play this week, and arguably Jez Butterworth's most successful stage work, yielding Tonys, Oliviers, Drama Desks and pretty much every other award going. First premiering in the spring of 2017 at the Royal Court Theatre in London, "The Ferryman" is set in Count Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1981, during a significant chapter of the IRA's history. It focusses around a multi-generational Irish catholic family of a former IRA volunteer, including Quinn, Mary, their seven children, Uncle Pat, Aunt Mary, Aunt Pat, Quinn's sister-in-law Caitlin, and her son Oisin. After the disappearance of Caitlin's husband ten years prior, his remains are unearthed at a moment of particular political prominence for the movement.

After making its world premiere at the Royal Court, with a cast featuring Laura Donnelly, Fra Fee, Paddy Considine and Tom Glynn-Carney, the play later transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in the west end, with the entire 30 strong company transferring with it. On its subsequent broadway transfer the following year, 11 of the 17 adult cast made the trip to New York to perform the play at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, where it won four of the nine Tony awards for which it was nominated, including best play, as well as for design and direction for Rob Howell and Sam Mendes respectively.

The company of "The Ferryman"

It has been praised consistently for how it balances elements of ancient tragedy with those of a more grounded, real family drama, as well as the epic scale, impressive design, and masterful acting performances across the board. "the Ferryman" has quickly become a modern classic, and one has to think it's only a matter of time before we hopefully see it return to the stage...