The Pillowman at the Duke of York’s Theatre

As London basks in balmy sun, a dark play broods behind the doors of the Duke of York’s Theatre. Premiering at the National back in 2003, Martin McDonagh’s blacker than black comedy finally finds its way to the West End. Matthew Dunster is at the helm, following his direction of McDonagh’s well received Hangmen and the more mixed A Very Very Very Dark Matter in recent years. He also reunites with Lily Allen, following her West End debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story. Allen portrays short story writer Katurian – cast as a woman for this production. Under arrest and unsure as to why, she is joined by “good cop” Steve Pemberton and “bad cop” Paul Kaye. With McDonagh having enjoyed huge Hollywood success since the play’s inception with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin, this is undoubtedly a highly anticipated theatrical event. But does the eagerly awaited return of The Pillowman live up to expectations? 

Anna Fleischle’s set moves menacingly towards us, creating a foreboding sense of claustrophobia. We’re in the office of a police station in a totalitarian state. Katurian sits blindfolded in the soulless, perfunctory room. She suspects she is being held because her writing might contain concealed political commentary; in fact it is because of a series of horrific child murders that bear a startling resemblance to the events depicted in her fiction. Katurian fights to protect herself and her brother while also endeavouring to ensure her life’s work will be safe to live on. Tupolski (Pemberton) is the more reasonable of her interrogators, while his colleague, Ariel (Kaye), struggles to contain his fiery rage and tendency towards violence. 

Gender-swapping Allen’s character allows the physical abuse Ariel inflicts on her to carry further impact than it might with a male protagonist, and the scenes shared with her brother Michal are aptly tender. The actress brings a maternal nature in these scenes, which contrasts nicely with her conduct towards her arresting officers. Playing them off one another, Katurian is at once astutely provocative while also clearly being in fear of both her and her brother’s lives. Allen interacts wonderfully with Pemberton, who succeeds in achieving the right balance between comedic and foreboding. When he delivers his own short story, it prompts a burst of welcome applause from the audience. It’s an excellent casting choice and an immensely enjoyable performance.

The actor is complemented well by the brilliant Paul Kaye as his explosive junior. The two of them circle their captive like sharks, attempting to catch her out, and we are instantly consumed by their dynamic back-and-forth. Allen, while certainly very watchable, could benefit from excavating more emotion. On occasion she appears to rush her dialogue and fails to bring her role to its highest potential, at times rendering the character reactionary and passive in contrast to the more urgent interrogators. 

The two hours go by remarkably quickly, but, in some ways, this is to the production’s detriment. Where a simmering slow-burn of tension could be cultivated – especially in the interrogation scenes – the fires are instead stoked too soon. It injects pace into the play, but one cannot help but feel a few tricks were missed in not allowing it more room to breathe and truly get under the audience’s skin. Yes, there are a few jump scares, and yes, the subject matter is often difficult to digest, but unlike the majority of the playwright’s other work there isn’t quite enough black comedy to counterbalance this – or at least it is not brought to the surface and embellished sufficiently.

McDonagh’s oeuvre always makes for a stimulating and provocative theatrical experience and this is no exception. Dunster’s incarnation will surely stay in the minds of those who see it, especially those new to the play, however there is the sense we have witnessed a slightly muted version of what could have been. 

Jonathan Marshall
Photo: Johan Persson

The Pillowman is at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 12^th June until 2^nd September 2023. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch a trailer for the production here: