Rough Magic

"There's a fine line between magic and illusion," says the Great Ivan (Kenneth Mars) in Clare Peploe's ambitious but clumsy film. With that the movie loses control; when the dog starts talking, Peploe's Magic has run out. ... Full Review

So, although Rough Magic has its fair share of mysticism, it's not really all that enchanting. The real flaw in Rough Magic 's approach isn't that it has so much fun playing around with our expectations, but that it tries to make a serious point about spirituality. ... Full Review

Ms. Fonda overcomes many of the film's weaknesses with smart, purposeful acting that is several cuts above the standards of most young film stars. Ms. Peploe also never fully develops the story's giddy humor, particularly in the closing sequences when mystery and mysticism are stirred into a screwball froth. ... Full Review

Apart from anything else, the movie is wonderful to look at. Clare Peploe deserves credit for the uncompromising way in which she stage manages a head-on collision between them in ``Rough Magic,'' an oddly enchanting fantasy that almost works. ... Full Review

This production gives you all you would expect if you are familiar with the film, with just a nugget or two to accentuate their own fingerprints on this production. ... Full Article

In these straitened times, one would expect the arts to provide us with some form of comfort from the economic doom and gloom. You can bet your money that in most cases it probably will, but Rough Magic, in picking... ... Full Article

Ellen started her professional life as a classical flautist, working with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, and various chamber ensembles. Her interest in jazz, and improvised music gradually took over, and led to many composing commissions,... ... Full Article

So is it entirely about sex? The question posed by the play's title is answered early on in this production from Rough Magic. As Hilary O'Shaughnessy's character Cathy emphatically informs her confused boyfriend, "No, it's about love and intimacy." ... Full Article

In talking to Don Shipley, you get a sense that here is a man who has truly lived the theatrical life. As he says himself: "I started out as a child actor and I have been in the business ever... ... Full Article

Friday May 30, 1997 Like a car constructed out of scavenged parts, "Rough Magic" sputters, coughs, wheezes, lurches, spins out of control and runs smack into the springtime of our discontent. ... Full Article