Angry Young Man
Closed 1h 15m
Angry Young Man
67%
67%
(45 Ratings)
Positive
60%
Mixed
22%
Negative
18%
Members say
Quirky, Confusing, Clever, Funny, Ambitious

About the Show

Urban Stages in association with East Hampton's John Drew Theater present the US premiere of this fast-paced British comedy about a Middle Eastern surgeon who immigrates to England,.

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Critic Reviews (12)

BroadwayWorld
March 24th, 2017

"Both entertaining and puzzling...The play veered off into directions that failed to provide a satisfying plot...The play is done in such a clowning, vaudevillian manner that whatever the playwright hoped to communicate is lost...The frivolous comedy is uncomfortable. I suppose I expected a comedy with more serious overtones considering the subject matter. That said, all four actors pull off a very difficult piece, as they seamlessly switch roles and change accents throughout."
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Lighting & Sound America
March 27th, 2017

"Playwright Ben Woolf, aided by the hyperactive direction of Stephen Hamilton, gets caught up in so much theatrical shtick that the point of the exercise becomes thoroughly blurred...It's a rangy tale...The finale is notably perplexing. The most distracting element of 'Angry Young Man' is its story theatre approach, which weighs down the action with extra-theatrical gags that aren't that funny...The time is ripe for a really cutting satire on the state of England today, but this isn't it."
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TheaterScene.net
March 24th, 2017

"Though it's ostensibly about racism, and what right-wingers consider 'that failed social experiment: multi-culti-ularism,' 'Angry Young Man' is, instead, a tour-de-force for four skilled performers to strut their stuff in stunning ways. And boy, do they."
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Theatre is Easy
March 26th, 2017

"Stephen Hamilton directs a politically appropriate play, while making us laugh hard enough that we don't have to think about the connections to our current world if we don't desire to...As an ensemble piece though, the credit really goes to all...The true beauty in 'Angry Young Man' lies in its Marx Brothers brand of comedy: fast-paced, yet at times understated...It isn't seamless, but it's still a joy to watch these versatile actors."
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Theatre's Leiter Side
March 24th, 2017

“It deals...with the hot-button issue of immigration, is conceptually imaginative and cleverly staged, and enjoys the services of four personable young actors. None of these things, though, is a strong enough medicine to cure the greatest ailment afflicting any farce: it's not very funny...The cast is lively, versatile, and technically proficient...The material forces them to strain too hard, which only makes it more uncomfortable to watch their stuff fall flat.”
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Times Square Chronicles
March 23rd, 2017

"This is comedy at its broadest with Christopher Daftsios their ring leader with every loud noise and obnoxious mugging possible...Did the audience laugh? Yes. Did I understand why? No. I understand the cleverness of it, but this is a serious subject to me, and I am not a fan of broad comedy. The direction by Stephen Hamilton was perfection, with comedic timing that never lost a beat...In the end the show rambled too much, was too confusing, and hard to take."
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Off Off Online
March 28th, 2017

“A Swiftian satire, funny on the surface with plenty that’s disturbing underneath. The play is filled with surprises and notable for its narrative vigor…As individuals, these actors are superb physical comedians; as a foursome, they’re a well-calibrated ensemble…Director Stephen Hamilton keeps the action moving at breakneck speed around the tiny stage…Hamilton and his cast ensure that the wacky, tangled narrative stays clear and the dramatic personae are distinct.”
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Manhattan Digest
April 4th, 2017

“Director Stephen Hamilton conducts this incredibly nimble cast like a precisely engineered Swiss watch…Thanks to the rapid-fire dialogue and high jinks, the 80-minute Off-Broadway piece moves as though it were a high-speed locomotive…What makes ‘Angry Young Man’ so entertaining is not necessarily the story, but rather the breakneck choreography and antics that are so well executed by this terrific cast. Sometimes, laughter is enough.”
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