What I liked
I loved the the humanity and the history.
What I didn't like
I really can’t think of any improvements. The performance was a 10+.
My overall impression
Am I my brother’s keeper? This is the perennial theme that runs through Joe Coffey’s solo performance of Bulger Boys – the true story of two brothers, William and James “Whitey” Bulger. While both brothers embody the ‘Fighting Irish’ spirit, their lives take them down completely different paths; one enters politics, the other a life of crime. Yet, the bond of brotherhood is never broken. No props, just subtle lighting and raw emotion reveal a family dynamic that pulls the audience into each and every scene. With his authentic Boston accent and ability to play a menagerie of characters, Coffey takes the audience through the streets of Southie to the inner corridors of city politics. Coffey skillfully weaves in Boston’s controversial busing law that led to riots and protests in the 1970’s as well as a lighter scene of a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. For those attending the Edinburgh Festival this is a must see. Bulger Boys is a powerful, masterly performed one-man show that doesn’t come along all that often.
