Press response to plays I've written

The Delicious Revenge Of Princess Rubyslippers
A thoughtful play, which neither patronises nor intellectualises. The Stage
A charming adventure into the imaginative world of children. Oxford Times 
Witty, deft and perceptive. Reviews Gate

How High Is Up?
Suffused with poetry, wit, and a wonderful wisdom. Irish Times
Comforting and profound, the language beautiful. Time Out
Themes of death, memory and change are handled with sensitive clarity and wit in Murray's beautifully written script. Dublin Sunday Tribune

The Falling Sky
Tender and ultimately shocking, the conflicts are subtle and the characters, never mere mouthpieces, all have the ring of truth about them. The Stage 
A play that captures the essence of rural life as it is lived today. These country folk are a million miles away from the stereotypes found in The Archers, and the story is anything but every-day. Oxford Times

The Big Magic
An exquisitely surreal experience. Time Out
If proof were needed of what a jewel Polka Theatre is then it can be found in Brendan Murray's The Big Magic. The Stage
Asks big questions that apply to a child's everyday life and the future of the world. Reviews Gate

Big Baby
Imaginative and often surreal. Manchester Evening News
A deeply polemical play containing some of the blackest comedy you will ever see. Oxford Times
A bewitching mixture of parable, dumb-show and song-and-dance, taking on half a dozen huge ideas. Five stars. The Times
Disturbingly compelling...unflinchingly honest. Glasgow Herald
A grand metaphor about modernity, industrialisation and capitalism...chillingly forceful and poetic. The Scotsman

Under The Bed
This quirky show, with its tangential departures into lunacy, has a sweet and sensible resolution with a disarming feel-good factor. Time Out
A fresh, nicely-pitched show that deals quite subtly with children's fears large and small. Financial Times

Mansfield Park & Ride
Brendan Murray doesn't miss a trick. The Stage online
A wittily elegant piece showing great appreciation for the language of Austen: a real Christmas cracker. East Anglian Daily Times


Press response to plays I've directed

The Nutcracker & The Mouse King by Jane Buckler
The tale is told with real sensitivity: ideal for all generations. Oxford Times
Full of atmosphere and mystery. BBC Radio Oxford
Complex and striking in its visual staging. Reviews Gate

The Firebird by Jane Buckler
An imaginative staging which moves the plot along while sharing the hopes, fears and dreams of the characters. Oxford Times
A timeless story brought to new audiences with the subtlety and care for details it deserves. The Stage

Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas
Pure gold. Oxford Times
Surreal and evocative...not to be missed. Oxford Daily Info
A heart-warming treat. The Stage

The Delicious Revenge Of Princess Rubyslippers
The audience who ranged from babes-in-arms to senior citizens, all seemed entranced. Oxford Times

People Are Living There by Athol Fugard
A knock-out. Oxford Times

Ain't Misbehavin' – The Fats Waller Musical Show
The comical numbers sparkle with razor-sharp rhymes and slapstick choreography. Impeccably sung in five-part harmony. The Stage
This bold new production is a polished and exciting show that will delight all who come out to see it. Oxford Times