the smuggler
Written by Ronán Noone
Directed by Conor Bagley
Starring Michael Melamphy
Off-Broadway Premiere
Premiered January 26, 2023 at Irish Repertory Theatre in New York City
Photography by Carol Rosegg
It’s 2023. Tim Finnegan is an Irish immigrant trying to make it as a writer on Amity, an affluent summer colony in Massachusetts, where tensions flare between the migrant and local communities after a fatal car crash.
When he loses his job as a bartender, Tim gets drawn into the dark underbelly of the island. The Smuggler examines how far one man will go to restore his self-respect and asks the question, “What does it mean to be an American citizen?”
“Terrific one-man, one-act play… Mellamphy is a dynamic presence, shifting easily among male and female roles and a variety of accents, while showing off some damn impressive cocktail-mixing moves…. The director, Conor Bagley, is ably aided…by Ann Beyersdorfer’s fine scenic design, Michael O’Connor’s lighting, and, especially, Liam Bellman-Sharpe’s sound and music.”
—Ken Marks, The New Yorker
“Rarely has a man’s moral decline been made so purely entertaining to watch…. Bagley has directed Mellamphy to focus [on] conveying the spirit of his character: a man whose immediate charms mask a ruthlessness and sense of entitlement.”—Kenji Fushishima, Theatermania
"Mellamphy dazzles for 85 minutes…. Director Conor Bagley’s inventive staging has Mellamphy purposefully in motion, still, all over the playing area and into the audience for picturesqueness and narrative focus…. It is physical acting at its highest level as Mellamphy visually and vocally soars.” —Darryl Reilly, Theaterscene
“Mr. Mellamphy sustains this sense of urgency, and capably manages the balance of affability and darkness his role demands…. It’s an exhausting task, and Mr. Bagley lets us see the actor sweat” —Elysa Gardner, The Sun
“When the thrills come, they pack a wallop…. as does Conor Bagley’s fast-paced direction…” —Marc Miller, Talkin’ Broadway
"This production, well directed by Conor Bagley…. a winning Michael Mellamphy—flaunts his skill at making drinks, flipping bottles with a casual flair." —Stuart Miller, Theatre Pizzazz