The Pillowman

Martin McDonagh is a British Irish playwright and filmmaker known for his absurdist black humor. He drew inspiration for The Pillowman from his own personal affinity for fairytales and his realization that many children’s stories have subtly dark undertones. The play is about two brothers, Katurian and Michal, who are under investigation for a series of child murders that bear an uncanny resemblance to some of Katurian’s fictional stories.

The Pillowman debuted its first public reading in London in 1995 and its first stage performance at the Royal National Theatre in London on November 13, 2003. In 2004, it won the 2004 Olivier Award for Best New Play, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Foreign Play, and two Tony Awards for production. It later opened on Broadway in April 2005. The Pillowman is McDonagh’s first play not set in Ireland. It is preceded by his controversial but critically acclaimed play The Lieutenant of Inishmore (2001), which received a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Play. In addition to several plays, McDonagh is the writer and director behind the films In Bruges (2008), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).