WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: The Pillowman
- James Tradgett
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
PREMIERED: 2003 (National Theatre, London)
PLAYWRIGHT: Martin McDonagh
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I'm back again with the latest in my series of theatrical exponents which I would rather like to see either return to the stage, or be staged for the first time; today's featured work is the former, a Tony-winning play that has been staged in London more than once, as well as on broadway. Written by Oscar-winning Irish writer and director Martin McDonagh, "The Pillowman" is a play whose staging was 8 years in the making, receiving its first professional reading in 1995, but not receiving its world premiere until 2003, opening at the National Theatre in a cast led by David Tennant, Nigel Lindsey and Jim Broadbent.
The play focusses on a fiction writer called Katurian, living in a fictionalised police state, who is interrogated by police about his series of short stories that bear a striking resemblance to a bizarre series of child murders in his own town. It is a profoundly, disturbingly raw look at childhood trauma and its implications in various stages of life, as well as the idea of state censorship, and life imitating art. Thematically, narratively and aesthetically, the play shares a lot in common with the work of George Orwell, most notably the novel "1984", which takes similar deep dives into the ideas of fascism and totalitarianism, and how these affect freedom of expression.
Although the piece proved polarising critically, with some feeling that its sharp tonal shifts were fairly jarring, it was almost universally praised for its thematic depth and intelligent writing, expert narrative craftsmanship, and its mastery of dark comedy, as well as how consistent and strong characterisations were. It won the Olivier Award for best new play, also being nominated for sound design. Its broadway run, at the Booth Theatre, fared far better, with the Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum-led production winning two Tony Awards from six nominations, among a flurry of other accolades. Though it has recently been staged in London, it still hasn't been seen in New York in over two decades, so perhaps the time it received a revival in the coming months and years...
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Have you seen "The Pillowman"? What did you think of it? Let me know below, or via my Instagram page.
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