Reviews: What Are Critics Saying About The Butcher Boy at Irish Rep?

The world premiere of The Butcher Boy opened August 1 at Irish Repertory Theatre's Francs J. Greenburger Mainstage, following previews which began July 21. The work is set to have a limited run through September 11.

The Butcher Boy is set in a Irish village in the 1960s where local youth Francie Brady is frustrated with his small town. The surrealist coming-of-age musical takes audiences into Francie's comic book dreamland, which becomes more precarious after he taunts newcomer, Philip Nugent, and a pig-filled curse.

Starring Nicholas Barasch as Francie Brady, the cast also features Joe Cassidy as Alo/William, Kerry Conte as Mary/Mary/Mary, Andrea Lynn Green as Ma, Daniel Marconi as Phillip Nugent, Michele Ragusa as Mrs. Nugent/Kathleen, Scott Stangland as Da. Teddy Trice, Carey Rebecca Brown, Polly McKie, and David Baida star as Pigs 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively.

Read the reviews here.

New York Stage Review (David Finkle)

Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.

Ciarán O'Reilly directs, with a creative team that includes music director David Hancock Turner, choreographer Barry McNabb, scenic designer Charlie Corcoran, costume designer by Orla Long, lighting designer Kat Zhou, sound designer M. Florian Staab, and projection designer Dan Scully.

April Ann Kline is the production stage manager, Jade Doina is the assistant stage manager, Liam Prendergast is the assistant director, and Emma Camp is the assistant choreographer. Orchestrations are by Muldoon and Sammy Grob, and casting is by JZ Casting.

Written by Asher Muldoon, who began work on the adaptation while still a high school senior, The Butcher Boy is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Patrick McCabe. The first original musical Irish Rep has developed in eight years, Muldoon's adaptation was workshopped and produced as a concert performance by Irish Rep in 2018. The novel's 1997 film adaptation starred Eamonn Owens, Fiona Shaw, Stephen Rea and Sinéad O’Connor under the direction of Neil Jordan.

For tickets and more information, visit IrishRep.org.