Initial casting has been announced for the London production of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman, which begins a 12-week engagement July 24 at the Duke of York’s Theatre. Opening is scheduled for August 5.
Tony Award winner Will Browder (Star Wars, There Will Be Blood) and BAFTA winner Steve Pemberton (The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville) will star with additional casting to be announced. Matthew Dunster directs the first-ever West End production of McDonagh’s Olivier-winning The Pillowman, which was seen at the National Theatre in 2003.
In a statement McDonagh said, “The Pillowman is a play that's always been very close to my heart, in terms of its combination of the darkest of dark comedy with its exploration of the nature of story-telling itself. It's a play that I haven't wanted to have staged in London until I could find the perfect director and the ideal cast for it, and having worked with Matthew previously on Hangmen, and been an admirer of Steve and Will's work for many years, I feel it's the perfect time to find out what a whole new generation makes of this peculiar tale.”
In the play, a writer in a totalitarian state is questioned by the authorities about a spate of murders that bear similarities to his short stories. Is this life imitating art or something more sinister?
Empire Street Productions presents The Pillowman and will offer a Pay What You Can ticket pricing throughout the whole run. Producer James Bierman said, ”I really hope that with this play, this cast, and for this production, we can welcome both established and new playgoers into the West End, and that this pricing accessibility will give those audiences the thrill of live theatre at its very best.”
Oscar-winning writer McDonagh’s Hangmen begins previews on Broadway February 28 at the Golden Theatre.
