Pillowman (Faber & Faber)

A writer in a totalitarian state is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a number of child-murders that are happening in his town. "Sometimes you don't even know what you've been craving until the real thing comes along." ("New York Times"). "McDonagh is more than just a very clever theatrical stylist. His tricks and turns have a purpose. They are bridges over a deep pit of sympathy and sorrow, illuminated by a tragic vision of stunted and frustrated lives." (Fintan O'Toole, "Irish Times"). Martin McDonagh's searingly brilliant new play premieres at the National Theatre, London in November 2003.