The Pillowman

When The Pillowman debuted in 2003, it was met with critical acclaim. The play received various accolades, among them the 2004 Olivier Award for Best New Play and two Tony nominations. At this point, Martin McDonagh was already known for his absurdist black humor, which had gained recognition and praise from his first play, The Beauty Queen of Leenane (1996). That said, The Pillowman deals with such shocking and provocative topics that controversy was inevitable. McDonagh leans into this controversy—he has admitted to “trying to write a play that would get [him] killed.” After the show opened on Broadway, a New York Times review summarized the audience’s reaction as “agitated” and “fidgeting.” The actors of each production of the show are accustomed to people walking out partway through. The difficult subject matter certainly makes some people uncomfortable, and the play has been criticized for being over the top in its violence, gore, and profanity.

Twenty years later, The Pillowman had another run in London and this time was met with even more backlash. The BBC published a piece detailing how cultural changes affect McDonagh’s work.