Long Day’s Journey into Night

Jeremy Herrin’s London production of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night opens with a scene of such quiet intimacy it is tempting to think that the audience has been admitted early. Actors Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson are as great a drawcard as the play itself. This is a perfect pairing for a work whose reputation as a masterpiece continues unabated. Theirs is a performance of mutual, muted delight, one that’s supported by Herrin’s absorbing restraint, an atmosphere that invites concentration and empathy. From the outset, we are transfixed – and what a spell Cox and Clarkson cast! But will it weave its magic for a modern audience?
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