The Seafarer (play) facts for kids

The Seafarer is a play written in 2006 by Irish writer Conor McPherson. It takes place on Christmas Eve in Baldoyle, a town near Dublin, Ireland. The story is about James "Sharky" Harkin, who has moved back home to live with his older brother, Richard, who is blind. The play was nominated for many awards, including the Tony Award and the Olivier Award.

The play's name, The Seafarer, is connected to an old Anglo-Saxon poem with the same title.

What the Play is About

Sharky has recently lost his job and returns to Dublin to look after his brother, Richard. The brothers often argue, with Richard making many demands on Sharky. Things get more complicated when Richard invites Nicky Giblin, someone Sharky doesn't get along with, to join them and their friend Ivan for a game of poker.

Nicky Giblin arrives with a mysterious man named Mr. Lockhart. Lockhart reminds Sharky that they met before, exactly twenty-five years ago. They were both in a difficult situation, and Sharky played a very important card game against Lockhart. Sharky won that game and gained his freedom, but Lockhart warned him that they would play again someday.

The play builds up to a poker game between the five men. What seems like a simple card game turns out to be much more serious for Sharky. Lockhart reveals that he is not an ordinary person and that this game is for something very important to Sharky. In the end, Sharky manages to win again. This happens when Ivan, who can't see very well, realizes he has a winning hand of four aces, which he had mistaken for four fours.

Play Style

The Seafarer is mostly written in a realistic way, showing how people really talk and act. However, it also has parts that feel like "magical realism." This means some things happen that are not quite real, like Lockhart knowing secret things about Sharky's past and talking about what happens after life.

McPherson uses everyday language, especially how people from working-class Dublin speak. But when Lockhart talks, his words become more poetic and dramatic, which is a style often seen in Irish plays.

How the Play Was Staged

Original Production

The play first opened in September 2006 at the Cottesloe auditorium of London's Royal National Theatre. It was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Play in 2007. Jim Norton, who played Richard Harkin, won an Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role.

The main actors in this first show were:

• Mr Lockhart: Ron Cook
• Ivan Curry: Conleth Hill
• James 'Sharky' Harkin: Karl Johnson
• Nicky Giblin: Michael McElhatton
• Richard Harkin: Jim Norton
• Director: Conor McPherson
• Designer: Rae Smith
• Lighting Designer: Neil Austin
• Sound Designer: Mathew Smethurst-Evans

Broadway Production

The play then moved to Broadway in New York City. It opened on December 6, 2007, at the Booth Theatre and ran until March 30, 2008.

The Broadway cast included:

• Mr Lockhart: Ciarán Hinds
• Ivan Curry: Conleth Hill
• James 'Sharky' Harkin: David Morse
• Nicky Giblin: Sean Mahon
• Richard Harkin: Jim Norton
• Director: Conor McPherson
• Designer: Rae Smith
• Lighting Designer: Neil Austin
• Sound Designer: Mathew Smethurst-Evans

This production received several Tony Award nominations in 2008, including Best Play. Jim Norton won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role as Richard.

Ireland Production

The play was first performed in Ireland at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in May 2008. It was directed by Jimmy Fay.

The Dublin cast included:

• Mr Lockhart: George Costigan
• Ivan Curry: Don Wycherley
• James 'Sharky' Harkin: Liam Carney
• Nicky Giblin: Phelim Drew
• Richard Harkin: Maelíosa Stafford

Other Productions

The Seafarer has been performed in many other places around the world.

• The play had its first performance on the West Coast from November 13 to December 7, 2008, at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, California.
• The New Jersey premiere ran from November 18 to December 14, 2008, at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, IL, staged the Chicago premiere from December 4, 2008, to February 22, 2009.
• The play opened in Budapest, Hungary, on December 19, 2008, at Bárka.
• It also opened on January 14, 2009, at The Studio Theatre in Washington, DC.
• The Pacific Northwest premiere opened on March 4, 2009, at Seattle Repertory Theatre in Seattle, WA.
• The play opened on April 4, 2012, at The Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas.
• The Scottish and Northern Irish premiere opened on February 8, 2013, at Perth Theatre in Perth, Scotland. It then moved to the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, on February 28, 2013. This production won awards for Best Director and Best Ensemble at the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland.