"The Pillowman"

March 13, 2011 — The Players' Ring is near the waterfront, on the edge of historic Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Housed in an unpretentious brick building, seating only 70, it provides an intimate theater experience. There is no stage as such. The seats surround three sides of the small, square performance area which is at floor level.

I'm having trouble finding a way to describe "The Pillowman" by Martin McDonagh. It breaks many taboos, making the blackest of black humor out of mental retardation, child abuse and murder, religious tradition and ethnicity. With its profanity-laced dialog, subject matter and violence, it's strictly for mature audiences.

A writer is being held for questioning in some unnamed dictatorship. No Miranda rights or lawyers here — he's completely at the mercy of two sadistic interrogators, one a detective with a penchant for playing cruel mind games, the other a thuggish police officer prone to violent outbursts. At first, it's not clear what he's being held for, but it's gradually revealed that a series of child murders have occurred which bear stark resemblance to stories he has written. He vehemently denies any connection, but when his retarded brother arrives on the scene, everything changes.

The performances by four male actors are excellent, as are the direction and production values, remarkable considering how little there is to work with in the Ring's limited space. A couple of slideshows illustrate parts of the story. The audience was spellbound throughout by the alternately shocking, violent, humorous presentation. If you're into black humor and the trashing of social values, you'll love it. If you have a more sensitive nature, you might want to avoid it.