Impressive writing, outstanding performances, but perhaps packing in too much
The Old Vic
Probably best known for his Dylan musical Girl From The North Country, Conor McPherson has written his first original play in 12 years, which he has also directed. The Brightening Air is, said Nick Curtis in The Standard, a ‘hilarious and achingly moving slice of dysfunctional rural Irish family life in the 1980s with broad seams of mysticism and superstition running through it’. All reviews agreed the writing is strong, with more than a nod to Chekhov. There are outstanding performances from Rosie Sheehy, Chris O’Dowd and Brian Gleeson as three siblings. Some found there was too much going on.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
4 stars ★★★★
Time Out’s Andrzej Lukowski called it ‘deft stuff, a slow-burn, bittersweet drama about a family finally disintegrating under forces that have been pulling at it for decades.’ Dave Fargnoli for The Stage said it ‘remains gripping thanks to McPherson’s typically sparkling dialogue, dripping with vibrant Irish idiom and loaded with humour and profundity.’ For him there was a standout performance: ‘Sensitively and convincingly portraying a character living with an autism spectrum disorder, Sheehy is a fascinating knot of tensions, often bluntly outspoken, other times stiff and uncomfortable in her own skin’.
The Standard’s Nick Curtis found it ‘audacious’. He picked two actors from a ‘splendid ensemble’: ‘O’Dowd returns to the stage for the first time in four years with a heroically detestable performance as the tauntingly feckless, faithless Dermot. And Rosie Sheehy adds to her unbroken run of transfixingly vivid roles as his sister Billie’. Dzifa Benson for the Telegraph called it ‘a play that is by turns, convulsively funny, bleak and puzzling but it’s Sheehy that my eyes kept seeking out’.
3 stars ★★★
Sarah Crompton of WhatsOnStage observed, ‘McPherson’s writing is pin-sharp, a rare combination of the riotous and the elegiac…But he simply tries to cram too much in.’ Therefore, ‘It’s a frustrating play, always watchable, so nearly great, so nearly soaring, yet somehow held earthbound by the weight of its intent.’ For Alice Saville at The Independent, ‘The real magic here comes from the beautifully woven speeches McPherson gives his characters as they rebel against tedium, death, and the heavens.’
The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar declared, ‘An incredibly strong cast is gathered: O’Dowd is a delight as the family’s self-regarding eldest brother and Sheehy, as always, is a standout force. She plays a largely comic character but infuses Billie with great emotion. The idea of love and its yearning is shown with delicacy.’ She was smitten by the design: ‘Rae Smith’s set is beautiful, full of diaphanous, overlying images of trees, water, misty mountains, sky, conjuring a vivid sense of place but also carrying a certain otherworldly magic. Sometimes this production lifts off, as if it is about to enter into the sublime, but is strangely dragged down by too many elements jostling to take flight.’
Anya Ryan of LondonTheatre decided, ‘It doesn’t quite make the impact McPherson might have hoped for then, but the play is still brimming with more fantasy and good fun than most. And for the true brilliance of each actor, this is a play worth a few hours of your time.’ Dominic Maxwell in The Times was ‘not sure it quite adds up, but it’s far more interesting than plenty of plays that do.’
Critics’ Average Rating: 3.3⭑
Value rating 44 (Value rating is the Average Critic Rating divided by the typical ticket price)
The Brightening Air is at The Old Vic Theatre until 14 June 2025. Buy tickets from the theatre here.
If you’ve seen The Brightening Air is at The Old Vic Theatre, please add your review and rating below