Daniel Radcliffe summons his finest Broadway performance yet in Martin McDonagh play co-starring Gillian Hanna and Sarah Greene
Daniel Radcliffe has appeared naked on stage, but he’s never been as emotionally raw or as steady on his feet as he is now portraying Billy, a palsied Irish bloke who can barely walk in “The Cripple of Inishmaan.” The former Harry Potter plays the title role in Martin McDonagh’s hilarious and haunting comedy — and casts a spell with humor, smarts and contagious compassion. This is the 24-year-old actor’s best performance on Broadway, where he’s previously headlined the drama “Equus” and the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Radcliffe’s impressive work here is matched by his fellow actors, the direction and design of this show from London marking the 1996 play’s debut on Broadway. It’s been seen downtown in 1998 and 2008. One quibble with Michael Grandage’s very fine staging is that a vague final moment blunts the impact of the funny-sad tale a wee bit. Set on a rugged island off the western coast of Ireland, the play considers life’s realities and dualities. The plot slyly capitalizes on an actual 1934 event — American documentary maker Robert Flaherty is in the area shooting “Man of Aran.” Sickly but whip-smart, Billy seeks to parlay a visit to the nearby film set into a life far away from his devoted but daft aunties Eileen (Gillian Hanna), who’s got dagger eyes and a never-sated sweet tooth, and Kate (Ingrid Craigie), who talks to stones. And they’re not the only eccentrics he’d leave in his wake.
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