An inimitably warm and stylish play that deftly mines the humanity to be found in the most unlikely of situations.
Tommy's not a bad man, he's getting by. Renting a run-down room in his uncle Maurice's house, just about keeping his ex-wife and kids at arm's length and rolling from one get-rich-quick scheme to the other with his pal Doc. Then one day he comes to the aid of Aimee, who's not had it easy herself, struggling through life the only way she knows how.
Their past won't let go easily. But together there's a glimmer of hope they could make something more of their lives. Something extraordinary. Perhaps.
The Night Alive premiered at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in June 2013, before transferring to the Atlantic Theater in New York. It was named Best New Play at the New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards 2014.
'Extraordinary... [McPherson] has a singular gift for making the ordinary glow with an extra dimension'
— New York Times
'Superb, vivid and violent... a brilliantly fused improvisation on Harold Pinter and David Mamet'
— Whatsonstage.com
'Packed with both humour and a persistent edge of menace... a very moving experience'
— Exeunt Magazine
'A beautiful meditation on dependence and redemption'
— The Stage
'Plenty of wit and humour... an evening of rich enjoyment'
— Guardian
'Vintage McPherson'
— Telegraph
About the Author :
Conor McPherson is a playwright, screenwriter and director, born in Dublin in 1971.
His plays include: Rum and Vodka (Fly by Night Theatre Co., Dublin); The Good Thief (Dublin Theatre Festival; Stewart Parker Award); This Lime Tree Bower (Fly by Night Theatre Co. and Bush Theatre, London; Meyer-Whitworth Award); St Nicholas (Bush Theatre and Primary Stages, New York); The Weir (Royal Court, London, Duke of York's, West End and Walter Kerr Theatre, New York; Laurence Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics' Circle, George Devine Awards); Dublin Carol (Royal Court and Atlantic Theater, New York); Port Authority (Ambassadors Theatre, West End, Gate Theatre, Dublin and Atlantic Theater, New York); Shining City (Royal Court, Gate Theatre, Dublin and Manhattan Theatre Club, New York; Tony Award nomination for Best Play); The Seafarer (National Theatre, London, Abbey Theatre, Dublin and Booth Theater, New York; Laurence Olivier, Evening Standard, Tony Award nominations for Best Play); The Veil (National Theatre); The Night Alive (Donmar Warehouse, London and Atlantic Theater, New York); Girl from the North Country (Old Vic, London) and The Brightening Air (Old Vic, London, 2025).
Theatre adaptations include Daphne du Maurier's The Birds (Gate Theatre, Dublin and Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis), August Strindberg's The Dance of Death (Donmar at Trafalgar Studios), Franz Xaver Kroetz's The Nest (Young Vic, London), Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (West End, 2020) and Paweł Pawlikowski's Cold War (Almeida Theatre, 2023).
Work for the cinema includes I Went Down, Saltwater, Samuel Beckett's Endgame, The Actors, The Eclipse and Strangers.
His work for television includes an adaptation of John Banville's Elegy for April for the BBC, and the original television drama Paula for BBC2.
Awards for his screenwriting include three Best Screenplay Awards from the Irish Film and Television Academy; Spanish Cinema Writers Circle Best Screenplay Award; the CICAE Award for Best Film Berlin Film festival; Jury Prize San Sebastian Film Festival; and the Méliès d'Argent Award for Best European Film.
Review :
'Extraordinary... [McPherson] has a singular gift for making the ordinary glow with an extra dimension'
'Superb, vivid and violent... a brilliantly fused improvisation on Harold Pinter and David Mamet'
'Packed with both humour and a persistent edge of menace... a very moving experience'
'A beautiful meditation on dependence and redemption'
'Plenty of wit and humour... an evening of rich enjoyment'
'Vintage McPherson'
