Daniel Radcliffe came out for the curtain call at the Broadway premiere of The Cripple of Innishmaan over the weekend, taking a bow as the audience applauded his performance.

Daniel Radcliffe In 'Cripple Of Innishmaan'

Radcliffe, 24, is taking his third turn on the theater stage following his performances in Equus and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. In The Cripple of Innishmaan, he plays 17-year-old “Cripple Billy,” the butt of jokes for the people in his small island community off the west coast of Ireland. He spends the majority of his days with his nose in the pages of books or staring off at the cows – until he acquires an interest in the idea of being an actor in Hollywood.

Thus far, Radcliffe has received glowing reviews from theater critics for his performance. “The star in question, Daniel Radcliffe, isn’t here just to flex his charisma for fans,” writes The New York Times Ben Brantley. “In the title role of this glimmeringly dark comedy from 1996, Mr. Radcliffe … is entirely convincing as the boy who is regarded as least likely to succeed at pretty much anything in his God-forsaken rural Irish town.”

“[Radcliffe] plays Billy with a crafty mix of guile and vulnerability,” according to Thom Geier for Entertainment Weekly. “His Irish accent is more than passable and while he doesn't stint from the role's physicality – curling his left hand and stiffening his left leg throughout the show – he refrains from milking the disability for easy sympathy.”

The Cripple of Innishmaan was penned by playwright Martin McDonagh and directed by Michael Grandage. Among the supporting cast are Sarah Greene, Ingrid Craigie, Padraic Delaney, Gillian Hanna, Gary Lilburn, Conor MacNeil, Patt Shortt and June Watson. The play be running at the Cort Theater through July 20.

– Chelsea Regan

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