The Seafarer - the reviews...

Press night for The Seafarer was on Friday. There has usually been a musical play in this slot which gave a celebratory feel to the end of the season before we break for summer but Mark's love of, and success with, Irish drama meant that his final show took a different tack. I loved the show and the mix of comedy and darker elements. Here's what the press are saying about the production and about Mark....

Babych has chosen to go out on a high note with this raucous and thoughtful comedy from one of Ireland's leading young writers even with McPherson's own wonderful production for the National Theatre – which toured to The Lowry just two years ago – still clearly in memory. It was a good choice, as this mostly great cast has come together to create a powerful and very entertaining piece of adult theatre to end the season. BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE. Read more here...

The second half, mostly revolving around the card game, is tighter and the performances are better focused, with Peter Dineen, as the angry and sour blind brother, particularly convincing. Not fair to compare the Octagon with the National?

Well, you wouldn’t say that if you’d seen Oleanna here a couple of weeks ago and while Seafarer is a three star rather than a four, it is still an adventurous choice of play and well worth a punt. CITY LIFE. Read more here...

Nit-picking aside, this remains a truly great play, and this a solid production that’s sure to go down a storm with audiences. On the night I attended, audience members roared their approval at the curtain call.

All told, this is a fitting farewell to Mr Babych after ten years of service. He has headed a team that has turned a venue on the brink of closure into the best producing theatre in the region. Make sure you catch The Seafarer before it, and Mark Babych, sail away into the sunset. WHAT'S ON STAGE. Read more here...

This is a really funny night at the theatre for lovers of black Irish humour with a sting in the tail. After this magnificent swan-song we can only hope that Mark Babych’s work will continue to be seen in the north-west. UK THEATRE NET Read more here...

Mark Babych’s final production for the Octagon as artistic director is a fitting way for him to bow out. Over the years his hugely inventive vision, combined with a craftsman-like technique, have been seen at their best in plays whose roots are deep in the Irish tradition - and this one by Conor McPherson is, of course, no exception...It is an intriguing, edgy, powerful play with a completeness of its own. THE STAGE. Read more here...

Finding optimism and humour at the bottom of a pint glass is a difficult task, but Irish writer Conor McPherson does it masterfully in The Seafarer.

It's a tale of four aging, whiskey-soaked men celebrating Christmas by gambling and drinking in a desolate seaside town. The play initially feels like a comedy as brothers Sharky (Michael O'Connor) and Richard (Peter Dineen) bicker endlessly. But it takes a darker turn with the arrival of the sinister Mr Lockhart, who is keen to claim a significant debt from Sharky. This could be a jarring move, but director Mark Babych handles the action assuredly in his final production at The Octagon, balancing the rising tension with bursts of dark humour.

A surprisingly soulful piece from a committed non-believer, The Seafarer is also one of the finest productions to grace Greater Manchester so far this year. THE METRO