The Cripple of Inishmaan at Redtwist Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"... Martin McDonagh's sardonic portraits of rural Irish village life take the happy-go-lucky and comradely eccentrics made popular in films such as "Waking Ned Devine" and put them through an acid wash, revealing all the pettiness and cruelty that is possible when people live in reduced —and far too close — circumstances. But occasionally, McDonagh allows his characters flashes of fellow feeling. Kimberly Senior's intimate staging of "The Cripple of Inishmaan" for Redtwist Theatre brings those strands of stunted compassion to the foreground in a way that was lacking from the Druid Theatre's magisterial production at Chicago Shakespeare last year."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...It would've been easy for director Kimberly Senior to go the quaint-and-colorful route. But she and her cast avoid turning the townsfolk into merry blarney peddlers, thus preserving the script's dry humor and unpredictability. Jack Magaw's stone-cottage set strikes just the right note, managing to look stark and cozy at the same time."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...Against the doubts of his surrogate aunts (Debra Rodkin and Jan Ellen Graves), vicious crush (Baize Buzan) and his own deteriorating health, “cripple Billy” voyages to Inishmore in hopes of escaping his village’s mundanity and pursuing an unlikely life in the U.S. McDonagh’s script paints a surprisingly empathetic portrait of a deeply insecure and flawed village, and director Kimberly Senior maintains a sense of urgency and comedy even when the story lacks immediate conflict."

Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended

"... Given McDonagh’s savage humor, his delight in shock and his tolerance for pouring buckets of blood over intimate moments — his film “In Bruges” is a case in point — there can be little doubt he intended the denizens of Inishmaan to be every bit as outlandish as Druid made them. Yet even McDonagh would find himself enchanted by the gentler humor and tragic grace of the story as it plays out in this winning Chicago production."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"... It is a pleasure to see a major work being so well stagedand performed as The Cripple of Inishmaan is at Redtwist Theatre. They continue to mount outstanding works at their intimate Rogers Parktheatre.No wonder that their last eight shows have been Jeff Recommended."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...This is a two plus hours of intimate storytelling, and Senior captures every word of McDonagh’s script with her strong cast. The set by Jack Magaw ( who also did the lighting) is incredible when you think of the size of the theater.He has even brought a boat on stage!.Christopher Kriz handles the sound and original music which is both hauntingly beautiful and very Irish."

Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended

"...Last year, I saw The Cripple of Inishmaan at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. I thoroughly enjoyed McDonagh’s play performed by Ireland’s Druid Theatre Company. But I have to say, I loved this Redtwist version more! I couldn’t always understand the Druid cast’s native tongue. So, I lost some of the plot points. McDonagh has multiple twists in this play. Through Redtwist’s masterful storytelling, I heard, understood and loved every word. For me, The Cripple of Inishmaan is best told by locals pretending to be other locals."