A review by angrybookworm
The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Another close to perfect read. I really loved this play and hope to get to produce it or work on it soon. There were a lot of things in this script that seemed like they weren't relevant to the story, but those things do get answered in the end. Some of those things, I heard got changed in an updated version of the script, and I'm glad they did. I did not like the idea of seeing the little girl at the end or the scene where there would have been a little girl being treated that way on stage. Reading it is one thing, but this is a play that has been and continues to be produced and that should be taken into account when thinking about these things. Writing that something terrible happens to a child is one thing, writing a script that would require a child to act out something terrible on stage is quite another. 
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