Theatre Coup d'Etat's production of The Pillowman is the third play by Irish playwright
Martin McDonagh that I've seen, and the darkest and most twisted. And that's saying something, considering I've seen
The Beauty Queen of Leenane about an extremely unhealthy mother-daughter relationship and
A Behanding in Spokane about a man in search of his missing hand. McDonagh has a knack for writing really fascinating characters, darkly funny dialogue, and extremely twisted situations. All of those are true about
The Pillowman (best play Tony nominee in 2005), which explores the brutal interrogation of a short story writer whose stories of violence against children start coming true. With a fantastic cast, inventive design, and an intimate performance space, Theatre Coup d'Etat brings this creepy story to life almost too viscerally.
