Violence and absurd humour repeatedly collide in Martin McDonagh’s stage work. The Beauty Queen of Leenane follows a lonely woman and her manipulative mother in rural Galway, while The Lieutenant of Inishmore pushes paramilitary politics into grotesque farce after the death of a pet cat. The Pillowman moves to an unnamed authoritarian state where a writer is questioned about disturbing stories that resemble real crimes. Hangmen turns capital punishment, pride and changing social attitudes into another black comedy. McDonagh’s dialogue is fast, profane and sharply structured, with humour often arriving at the worst possible moment. Those qualities place the books near contemporary Irish and British theatre, black comedy and violent absurdist drama. Read more Less
No products in the cart.