REVIEWS
Never the Sinner
“Leopold is played superbly by Paul Nugent …
he turns in a performance that is nuanced, explosive and measured.” Roberta Gray, In
“Paul Nugent as Leopold waivers
between arrogance and vulnerability in a finely honed performance.” Mary Kate O’Flanagan, Sunday Business
Post.
“Good and committed acting are the essential mark of
this gripping production … Leopold is played by Paul Nugent in a quieter vein,
no less impressive in his penetration of the aberrant impulses that drive him.”
Gerry Colgan, Irish Times.
“Director King has perfectly cast these pivotal roles. Nugent plays his
Nathan with a distanced intelligence that nevertheless betrays a weaker will
than that of his opposite number; appropriately stiff in his body, he betrays
his fragility in the use of his delicate hands, his long fingers expressing
what his entire body cannot … Their performances are a slow burn, growing from
capricious arrogance to hubris to defeat, well-executed and directed to build
and grow until we simply cannot take our eyes off of them.” Susan Conley, wow.ie.
Tape
“More effective than gunfire … the actors are wholly
convincing in their roles, Jon (Paul Nugent) probing for a painful truth … they
build the serial tensions with conviction, and add a tip-of-the-iceberg sense
of much more beneath the surface.” Gerry Colgan,
Irish Times.
Boy Gets Girl
“Paul Nugent is fascinating in brief early appearances
as Tony, and his subsequent absence is logical but frustrating.” Gerry Colgan, Irish Times.
The
“The piece itself is a dream come
true for actors, and director Paul Brennan has assembled a company that are
clearly committed to the text … Standout performances by Nugent, O'Donnachadha, and Stapleton, with strong moments from the
ensemble as a whole.” Susan Conley, wow.ie.
“Actor Paul Nugent says that despite the subject being
a controversial issue, it is something that people can identify with on many
levels. ‘We try our best to choose stories that anyone can come and see and not
feel alienated by. I think people tend to think that shows like this will be a
bit avant garde or
provocative or strange in some way, but the key thing is that a show should
have the ability to appeal to a wide range of people, which I think it does.’”
Louise Healy, Evening Herald.
The
Glory of Living
“Paul Nugent's
portrayal of Steve, a witness for the prosecution, was imbued with much
heartache and sorrow. The rest of the cast also performs admirably ...
excellent production ... superbly acted." James McMahon, rte.ie.
The
Miracle Worker
"Paul
Nugent supplies an interestingly sardonic undertone to his role as Helen’s
older brother James, an attitude refined by his perception of how he thinks his
father feels about him." Paul Kolas,
"The
cast is deserving of praise ... Paul Nugent shows James’ struggle to survive in
a family where so much is focused on his wild half-sister. As a group, they
make us feel the stress and dysfunction they must live with, yet always bathed
in the civility of the proper Southern manners." Nancy Grossman, broadwayworld.com.
The
Beauty Queen of Leenane
"Each
member of the four-person cast gives a strong performance ... Paul Nugent plays
the energetic youth, Ray ... His performance seems to come from an entirely
different era than his costars'. Though he may express himself wildly and
impatiently, Nugent's character often voices the thoughts of the audience.
Nugent gives a strong performance, punctuated by moments of vulnerability and
humor, and he creates a vivid juxtaposition between the outside world that he
comes from and the stifling world he enters ... It's
tough subject matter, but the subtle performances of the actors make the play
enjoyable." Emily Dreyfuss,
The Field
“Only the Flanagans' sensitive older son, Leamy
(Paul Nugent), retains enough innocence to squirm at their dishonorable role in
the fraud. … The actors convey the conflicts in their souls in ways that
register subtly but surely, as when Maimie almost
whispers to her son, when he complains of their complicity, "God we're a
pity, Leamy ... the whole bunch of us." Charles
Isherwood, New York Times.
“Played by the sweet Irish juvenile Paul Nugent, who surprised us all by
standing up to Bull when he threatened his mother.” Reader Reviews, New York Times
Online.
“An almost
pitch perfect cast … lifts the work far above almost every other Irish play now
showing in the city … the actors’ skilled inhabitation of their characters lend
this production this production the mystic thrum of an early Tennessee Williams
piece … small but unforgettable moments stay with you … the tenderness that
passes between a mother and her son moments before they are pulled into a
maelstrom they can neither control nor escape.” Cahir
O’Doherty, Irish Voice.
“[The] cast
fill their perfs with realistic detail. The entire
ensemble creates a clear vocabulary of gestures and vocal mannerisms, and their
choices cohere into a vivid stage community.” Mark Blankenship, Variety.
“[The]
talented ensemble bring out all the nuance and richness
of Keane’s engaging script.” Jessica Branch, Time Out.
“It’s a
credit to the production’s fine actors that they inhabit their roles so fully
that it seems they have known each other for decades.” Joy
“Supporting
cast shine in Rep's intelligent staging of Keane favorite.” Joseph Hurley,
Irish Echo.
“An intense
and powerful saga with an excellent cast … Paul Nugent is another of the vivid
characters in Keane’s play.” David Rothenberg, WBAI Radio.
“A strong
cast performs well … The Flanagans are portrayed with
economical effectiveness by Cleary, Cassidy, and Nugent.” David Finkle, theatermania.com.
“Spellbindingly
acted by a first-rate cast … the dozen actors occupy their roles with such
passion and commitment that you’d think they were born to play them – they
render Keane’s rugged creations in vivid, raw detail.” Martin Denton,
nytheatre.com.
Ladies & Gents
“The cast
members sell the gimmick perfectly. They have to; they’re within
reach-out-and-touch distance of the audience.” Neil Genzlinger,
New York Times.
“The cast
is uniformly strong and each has moments that came back into my thoughts after
the show … combines a range of creative devices and solid talents to make one
of the more unusual nights of theatre one gets a chance to experience … make
every effort to see this production. It is unique and fascinating, and not to
be easily duplicated.” Ivanna Cullinan,
nytheatre.com.
“Extremely well-acted, literally in-your-face.” David Finkle,
theatermania.com.
“The actors
perform their noirish playlets
with pitch-perfect staginess.” Abigail Deutsch,Village Voice.
“The wall
between audience and actor all but crumbles. The actors are so close here they
brush against you. … Of course, it would all just be a gimmick if the acting,
staging and design weren't so strong.” Joe Dziemianowicz,
Daily News.