32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lay Your Head Upon This Pillow, April 7, 2005
Having been a fan of McDonagh's Leenane Trilogy, I couldn't wait to read his latest. I'd read some glowing reviews from the British premiere but was skeptical. Then, I read the play. While the set up seems from a police procedural, the twists, turns, and utter horror in the play are visceral and compelling.
A writer is being interrogated because the stories he writes often allude to the murder of children in hideous ways; children in the totalitarian state of his residence are now being killed in ways like the ones mentioned in the writer's work. Add to this the writer's mentally impaired brother and occasional acting out of his stories and you have complete, satisfying, darkly humorous and utterly theatrical play. The Pillowman is a beautifully ugly depiction of the the necessity of stories--to pain us, to heal us. It's quite a page-turner!
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow, June 16, 2005
During my recent visit to London I was privileged to attend a show every one of my thirteen days there. After seeing everything from Taming of the Shrew to Pinter's Betrayal, the only show that made me say, "Wow that was incredible", was McDonough's The Pillowman. I find my self uttering the same phrase after reading a previous review of this amazing play. It's such a shame that people get so caught up in the superficial aspect of art that they fail to understand what makes it art in the first place. Shocking, twisted, dark as it may be, when it comes down to it, The Pillowman has nothing to do with murdering children. Any person with some sense can understand that it's about an artist's responsibility for their work and their protection under freedom of speech laws. Can an artist be held accountable for the feelings their work provokes? What if someone acts on those feelings...who is responsible then? I find it ironic that the very point the playwright is trying to get across mirrors the persecution he is facing now. To everyone... see this play. If you are unable to attend a production that's a shame because it's amazing live, but do the next best thing and pick up the script. It will change you.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
One of the better plays I've read..., February 11, 2008
This review is from: The Pillowman - Acting Edition (Paperback)
The Pillowman (2003) - Martin McDonagh
I will start off by stating that I tend to not like reading plays. However, once in a while, I will come across one that reads well as literature. The Pillowman is definitely one of them. The dialogue is exciting, the plot is most definitely a page-turner, and it is quite funny (in a sadistic way, but more credit to McDonagh for pulling it off). What Mr. McDonagh deals with as his theme is the importance and power and necessity of telling a story, and he presents it in a multi-layered way that is entertaining and clever. Not only is there manipulation of time, but there is also the interesting notion that we are listening to a story of a bunch of characters that like to tell and listen to stories. The overall feel is definitely a little creepy.
McDonagh has a rather unique voice, and although he does not create amazing personalities, his style is entertaining enough on its own; the stylized dialogue is semi-poetic and is interesting to listen to. Let's just say there's a smooth flow to it.
This play is extremely dark and sadistic, yet hilarious in multiple parts (and generally funny thoughout). Balancing this tightrope act is not easy, but I would definitely say McDonagh does a good job of it. This play actually had me laughing out loud at points, which is relatively rare for me when reading plays. For example, even reading translations of Moliere almost never make me laugh, and he is considered arguably the greatest humorist we've ever had. Thus, overall, The Pillowman was a fun read (nothing extremely profound for me), and I would definitely reccomend it.
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