About the Play:

The Ferryman is a full-length drama by Jez Butterworth. Set in rural Northern Ireland in 1981, The Ferryman takes place on the eve of the annual harvest as the Carney family prepares for a traditional night of feasting and celebration. But this year they will be interrupted by a mysterious visitor.

The Ferryman is sprawling family drama, set against the troubles that tore Northern Ireland apart. "Vanishing. It's a powerful word, that. A powerful word." County Armagh, Northern Ireland, 1981. The Carney family farmhouse is a hive of activity with preparations for the annual harvest. A day of hard work on the land and a traditional night of feasting and celebrations lie ahead. "This family can take care of its own." But the festivities come to a startling halt with the appearance of an unexpected visitor and revelations from the past. "You can't bury the past."

The Ferryman premiered to huge acclaim in 2017 at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Tickets to the anticipated premiere sold out within 24 hours (the fastest-selling show in the Royal Court's history). The Ferryman transferred to the West End's Gielgud Theatre, where it enjoyed a year-long acclaimed run, and won the Olivier Award for Best New Play, the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play and the Critics' Circle and WhatsOnStage Awards for Best New Play. It transferred to Broadway in 2018 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre and received rave reviews.

Cast: 8 women, 12 men, 1 baby

What people say:

"A richly absorbing and emotionally abundant play…An instant classic." — The Independent

"A mighty affair, sending stories, characters, history, politics and love skittering across the floor with the flair of a gambler rolling dice. It's a stunning piece of writing: teeming with life; haunted by death … Butterworth takes the great family drama and makes it his own." — Financial Times

"An astonishing, enormous, shattering eruption of a play…It left me genuinely stunned." — Time Out London

"A rich, serious, deeply involving play about the shadows of the past and the power of silent love." — The Guardian

"It's a tumbling and tumultuous play, one that swerves off into storytelling, song and dance, and debate, without taking its eye off the need for suspense. It's a thriller that bursts the bounds of its genre, but never forgets what makes the form tick." — Variety

"A feast of intricate storytelling, it's absorbing, soulful and ultimately shattering." — Evening Standard

About the Playwright:

Jez Butterworth is a leading English playwright, screenwriter, and film director whose work is characterized by its distinctive language, dark comedic themes, and lowlife characters. His work has frequently been compared to that of his mentor – playwright Harold Pinter – and to the films of Guy Ritchie. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.