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. McDonagh states, “Only in the past few years have I had theatre companies refuse to do my plays, because they don’t like some of the wording in them.” The 2023 rendition of the play was criticized as being unsettling, cruel, and potentially offensive to marginalized groups. One theatre that was initially drawn to the play’s edginess even decided to cancel the production after deciding it was ableist and discriminatory toward neurodivergent people. Undeniably, in the 20 years between The Pillowman’s debut and its 2023 production, Western culture became more aware of how language and representation in art can impact individuals and communities in real life—ironically, one of the major themes of The Pillowman. McDonagh has refused to alter the language of the play and has been outspoken about his commitment to continue creating “dangerous” and “explosive” works. This type of controversy is especially relevant and ironic with regard to the content and themes of The Pillowman, as the play itself centers issues of censorship, the value and social effects of art, and the relationship between artist and audience. Considering it as its production relates to its own themes reinforces the play’s metafictional nature and contributes a sense of urgency and reality.