Sea Wall

“Beautifully acted double bill...The way Stephens lets dread creep into the story like morning light, and grow until it fills the otherwise nearly empty stage, makes this a ripping yarn in more ways than one...It may be that Mr. Payne was too close to the material to let it go where it needed to...But even if 'A Life' is a bit of a comedown from “Sea Wall,” the two make smart companions.”

“Together achieve a tonally ambitious mix of blunt truth and wistful, freewheeling evocation...The monologues are sufficiently distinct, though similar enough thematically to function successfully as companion pieces, totally disarming in the depth and intensity of the emotions they conjure...A refreshing and moving departure from male tropes; these characters are neither heroic nor antiheroic, and they’re not absent fathers, sons and husbands.”

“The writing in these separate monologues is excellent, as are the solo performances by Tom Sturridge and Jake Gyllenhaal. But this is no show to see on a first date...There’s pleasure to be had at the sound of pretty prose, and it’s a joy to watch two fine actors perform in flawless character. But it might take a couple of stiff drinks to get the ashen taste of death out of your mouth.”

“It's a subject to which all of us can sadly relate, making the evening as painfully harrowing as it is engrossing...The plays are subtly linked in terms of language as well as subject matter...Staged in appropriately minimalist and powerful fashion by Carrie Cracknell on a mostly bare stage, the superbly acted double-bill provides a vital reminder that life is all too fleeting.”

““The two monologue plays...are, on their own, elegant, vulnerable pieces of writing. Directed with assured simplicity and without soppiness...they’re solid examples of their form...They’re also not a particularly intrepid piece of programming...While it might well move us, doesn’t challenge us theatrically...Not because Sturridge and Gyllenhaal aren’t doing tender, deeply felt work — they are — but because...things feel cathartic and safe.””

“Tom Sturridge and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver scorching performances that can stand alongside anything on the New York stage so far this season...Our earlier encounter with the grieving dad of 'Sea Wall' has prepared us for anything, so there’s real terror in 'A Life‘s' minute-by-minute of an anything-could-go-wrong scenario. Birth and death, we’re shown, are equally precious. They are, simply, life.”

“Where 'Sea Wall/A Life' fumbles the smallest bit is really concretely tying the two halves together — the works are thematically similar and there are little bits and pieces of dialogue that, if you are paying close attention, link them together. But if you aren’t, the ending might fall a bit flat. All in all, though, that’s a very minor complaint for an evening that will emotionally wreck you, convince you of Sturridge’s acting prowess, and further consider that Gyllenhaal is one of the finest actors of his generation.”

“An opportunity to see theatre at its most fundamental...'Sea Wall' is impressive, particularly in its use of imagery...'A Life’s' strength is in its specificity. Its quotidian details, many of which are drawn from Payne’s own life, gradually gain a persuasive and unexpected power...They speak to us in order to claw their way back into their lives. Neither man is completely successful in doing so, but by the end of the night our humanity is enlarged for bearing witness to the attempt.”

“'Sea Wall: Sturridge brings subtle emotional texture to the role, even if he sometimes talks too quickly...Rather soapy. Accidents do happen of course, but building an entire play around one tends to emphasise the artifice of the medium...'A Life' tugs at our heartstrings more gently. Jake Gyllenhaal here gives an engaging performance...Those overlapping tales unfold predictably without lurching into sentimentality...Cracknell directs both monologues with a sure touch.”

““This double bill allows audiences the opportunity to see two great actors starring in intimate solo shows by playwrights with which they have a creative history...Both actors are comfortable with the rhythms of each playwright’s use of language, and the way the writing shifts, sometimes suddenly, between life and death, joy and pain...Cracknell directs an intense, precisely calibrated production...The result is a transfixing and beautiful evening of intimate storytelling.””

“Would be heavy-duty monologues experienced individually. Seen together under the unstinting direction of Carrie Cracknell, they’re enough to make you want to quit your job and run naked through the streets...Stephens knows how to seduce you with the quotidian...You’re watching such formidable writing, action and direction that the artifice of the theater is easy to forget...By all means, go for these insights. And then inure yourself against such painful truths with a stiff post-show drink.”

“Exquisitely played by Tom Sturridge and Jake Gyllenhaal....The effect is raw and wrenching...On the surface, both monologues are about what we make of grief—how we assimilate it into life without going mad—but they’re really about what grief makes of us...Directed with keen sensitivity by Carrie Cracknell on an artfully drab set...'Sea Wall/A Life' is not what you’d call an uplifting experience, contemplating the sour mystery of extinction and the indifference of the universe.”

““The Public's beautifully acted double-bill...Both portrayals of a man struck by personal tragedy, and how they handle the grief that follows, are performed directly to the audience...Sturridge’s Alex is a tense young man given to dart about aimlessly...As played by Gyllenhaal in ‘A Life,’ Abe appears to be adjusting better to his loss...Though ‘A Life’ is less eventful than ‘Sea Wall,’ it's the more universal of the two. And perhaps a bit comforting as well.”

“The themes of life and death are on display in The Public Theater's riveting double bill, Sea Wall/A Life, two solo plays by British playwrights Simon Stephens and Nick Payne, respectively. Starring film and stage actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge, it reunites the two performers who previously appeared in the new film, Velvet Buzzsaw…Although not written to be companion plays, it is quite remarkable how well the two works dovetail with many of the same elements in common.”

“Both monologues tease out their tales with precision and expertise, diving back and forth between waves of grief and joy...'Sea Wall.' It’s truly mesmerizing, pulling us towards his love and hurt like a strong undertow that will leave us gasping for air and battling the waves to survive...Payne’s 'A Life' doesn’t have the intense punch to the gut like Stephens’ 'Sea Wall,' even though both deliver the material with a clear sense of purpose. They do balance one another with a focused grace.”

“Sturridge and Gyllenhaal are indeed fine thespians and Stephens and Payne know how to write intelligent, meaningful dialogue...To their credit, neither actor showboats his role...Still, these delicate pieces belong in a more intimate setting...The similarity of their monologues presented right on top of one another somehow dramatically weakens rather than strengthens the connection.”

“Both plays examine issues of…fatherhood, both move freely back and forth in time, both include traumatic events, and both ask existential questions about the meaning of life. They capture moods and incidents in natural-sounding, yet poetically suggestive prose, but, while they explore strong feelings, they possess little dramatic tension… Fans…will appreciate the chance to see these stars in the flesh…I would have preferred to have had the distraction of dramatic action.”

““‘Sea Wall’ is a grim piece...Little comfort is provided by Sturridge, who has a cold presence...Sturridge’s work is wonderfully precise–but something about him here just suggests oncoming doom...‘A Life’ solves the problem of numbing despair...Gyllenhaal is wonderfully moving...Matching nervy energy with wry amusement...Once followed by ‘A Life’, the numbing effect of ‘Sea Wall’ starts to feel more apt...There is an unspoken throughline, lightly suggested in Cracknell’s simple staging.””

““’Sea Wall' begins with a touch of rhapsody and ends as a portrait of a hollowed-out soul...’A Life’ is cleverly put together and Gyllenhaal switches between stories and tones like a magician...The actors are the thing here, along with the words. Whether you prefer Sturridge's slow-burning intensity or Gyllenhaal's deceptively easy technical skill, both of them know how to serve their texts for maximum impact...One of the finest double acts in town.””

“In the latter there are a few laughs well-played by Gyllenhaal, but on the whole, it is a gloomy evening...In many ways this is a brave piece that compels us to watch, the way that videos go viral, or crowds gather to watch a fire. Except here the actual event is the man himself...Each of these might be compelling as short stories. Might be. I am not certain I would get through them, however, because there is not enough meat on these bones to keep me interested.”

““A unique offering....While beautiful and raw, neither is particularly remarkable on its own, but together they form a unified if redundant evening about facing grief and encountering personal tragedy...Both actors excel, though Gyllenhaal clearly has the better piece...Two well-written and performed pieces of storytelling, even if a less charitable view might see it as nothing more than a marquee cash cow more deserving of an intimate space.””

“This could have been an inspired idea...The idea of bringing the monologues together ultimately is also questionable. The fact that they are so similar has the unintended effect of creating a sense of repetition and monotony following the intermission. Also problematic is the fact that the monologues should really be performed in a more intimate setting.”

““A pair of monologues sure to leave you thinking about life and death...Sturridge gives Alex a multitude of tics...It all feels calculated, and we can see the wheels turning in his head...The second piece is the stronger of the two, thanks to a combination of clearer writing and more restrained acting...Gyllenhaal brings natural affability to the role, telling this highly relatable story with simple earnestness...There's sadness in both stories, but only one of them feels like a real tragedy.””

“Featuring richly-mined and heart-rending solo performances by Tom Sturridge and Jake Gyllenhaal...'Sea Wall' is decidedly the stronger of the plays, a devastating piece of writing that takes its central character into the void, and us along with him...Along with kudos to Sturridge and Gyllenhaal, much praise goes to director Carrie Cracknell, who has done outstanding work in revealing both the divergences and the intersections of these two superlatively performed solo works.”