"Walsh specializes in what might be called the theater of the elusive...Walsh has anchored the book’s abstractions in a recognizably mundane world...The muffled sounds of television and radio reports on the storms — and of sirens from the streets — beautifully evoke the way in which the whole world seems apocalyptic after a personal tragedy. And Mr. Murphy forges such a visceral bond with us that we do feel we hear and see through Dad’s ears and eyes."
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"Walsh has adapted Porter’s heartbreaking little book into a handsome if frequently self-defeating stage version...When 'Grief' is at its best, though, Walsh finds a way to fully exploit the staggering talents of his frequent collaborator, actor Cillian Murphy...It’s not clear how sound designer Helen Atkinson does it, but she’s working some true ventriloquist magic. This is technically impressive but emotionally alienating."
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"Murphy’s volcanic performance anchors 'Grief,' which takes the tone and structure of its source material so much to heart that it can sometimes feel writerly and more than effectively fragmentary...Walsh’s play moves into that transcendent space where montage also becomes irresistible motion...'Grief' wouldn’t work without its returns to quiet, to the hard, hesitant lull of Dad and the boys’ daily life. Some of the show’s best moments are its smaller ones."
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"Murphy is giving an extraordinarily accomplished performance, putting himself through a punishing physical and emotional regimen while switching between the dejected, defeated Dad and the demonic Crow...The production is a fine display of stagecraft, and, as such, will be of interest to anyone currently working in video and/or sound design. Murphy's work provides many pleasures, too, but there's no denying that, during the highly theatrical middle section, a disconnect takes place."
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"Indisputably this mad, murky, melancholy drama is a fine showcase for Cillian Murphy, who delivers a tour-de-force performance as a deeply grieving man...The challenging 'Grief is the Thing' may well prove to be a mystifying, at times even bewildering, event...If 'Grief is the Thing' proves to be a demanding, nearly exhausting experience, it also can be a rewarding one for theatergoers willing and able to hang on through such a stormy ride."
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“Riveting, unsettling, uplifting – this play sears the heart...It brought a stunned audience to its feet...without a moment’s hesitation...I could not help but appreciate the directorial decisions that made it come crashing to the stage. Never again, I’m sure, will I see typography so violently displayed...Murphy embodies the character so completely that we cannot imagine anyone else owning the part...You cannot help but be moved by this play, especially if you’ve lost someone.”
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“Walsh pulls it off, he pulls it way off...Walsh has taken Porter’s gorgeous postmodern text and deftly conjured something wonderful...Walsh’s direction is stunning...Murphy is a master at work...‘Grief Is the Thing with Feathers’ hit so many raw nerves with such precision in its translation from page to stage that I can’t help but feel it will remain one of the most important nights I’ve spent in a theatre for a long, long time.”
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"In a tour de force performance, Murphy is at one moment dealing with his grief like a normal person and the next he’s wearing a big black hoodie and speaking into a small mic attached to the sleeve that miraculously turns his mild tenor into a booming, menacing bass...'Grief' is one of those that can’t sustain beyond 90 minutes because it exhausts...This isn’t a criticism of the play and its amazing production; it’s purely intentional on the part of Porter, Walsh, and Murphy."
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