BroadwayWorld News Desk Editor, Eugene Lovendusky, met in the depths of the Booth Theatre to discuss the extraordinary characters who fill each inch of Conor McPherson's powerfully engaging and humorous new play...

Eugene Lovendusky – Congratulations and a warm thank you for talking with BroadwayWorld this evening. The Seafarer is a definite thrill-ride. Tell me about the its title – Conor McPherson read a short poem, correct?

Ciaran Hinds – He picked it up, a pre-medieval eighth or ninth century poem from the Dark Ages. It's basically about this soul who lives precariously "out there" and on their own. I think people have different ideas to whom it refers. Which character?

Eugene – Who do you think it is?

Ciaran – I think it's him. [points to David]

David Morse – I think it's him. [points to Ciaran] I do, because I get to stay on land. He doesn't.

Ciaran – At the same time, you're the one who's kind of flailing around in life with no protocol. You go from job to job in search of something. I mean, I don't know. Neither of us know!

David – For a while, the character of Lockhart is doomed. There is a possibility for me for some kind of redemption. Sparky has certainly spent my time out on the sea and could be out there… but things intervene in his life. Nothing is intervenes in his.

Ciaran – There's a moment where he asks "Am I worth saving?" and he realizes, no. There's a possibility of redemption for just about everybody except him. It's very hard the way Conor's structured it. It's so funny, this piece. It's set-up with these very funny quirky characters that exist in this low-life kind of way; but they all have their own fantastic sense of comedy and connection before the dark side comes into it. In the second-half where the darkness is introduced – these guys are playing cards with witty fast asides – when we're playing that last hand of cards, there is a silence. A palpable silence in the audience to see who is going to come up with the winning-hand. And then a sense of relief followed by laughter.

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