Review: The Pillowman at Theatre Royal Ramsbottom

“…funny, tender, galvanising, introspective… deeply emotional…”

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, Theatre Royal Ramsbottom

By Hannah Molyneux

In a dingy room in a totalitarian state, a writer is questioned about the similarity of her stories to a number of gruesome child murders. Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman deserves all of its trigger warnings – it is as shocking as it is sardonic and it’s dark and threatening with a razor-sharp wit that underpins its horrific themes.

Under the direction of Stephen Davies, Summerseat Players’ telling of The Pillowman is framed by the foreboding presence of a child onstage, an ominous portent of what is to come. Davies’ inclusion of a child at certain key moments in the play is a clever move that adds a layer of insidiousness through inference and by leaving just enough to the audience’s imagination.

From its opening scenes, The Pillowman sets out to rob the audience of their sense of security – we feel at any moment that the rug might be pulled from under our feet. The acting is fast-paced and urgent, and there is a palpable tension that persists even in the ‘laugh-out-loud’ moments (of which there are surprisingly many). Clive Tomkinson’s Tupolski drives this tension with the air of a smiling assassin – he is sinister and unsettlingly funny. He is the perfect foil to his more volatile partner, leading the questioning of Katurian with a pernicious calm that feels certain not to last. Ariel, on the other hand, is played with explosive energy by Sam Cooper, a violent and menacing presence who makes the stage feel suddenly smaller. They make an excellent darkly comedic pair, each as unhinged as the other. They are not lacking in depth, however – Tomkinson shows us the coldness of Tupolski’s anger and Cooper adds a great deal of emotion to the performance as a whole, softening to reveal Ariel’s more human and compassionate side.

Mollie Winnard is captivating as Katurian, equal parts unnerved and feisty. She shines with pride as she recounts her stories and has the audience hanging on her every word. Winnard’s performance is utterly compelling and, in the moments where the storytelling appeals directly to the audience, she excels in holding our gaze.

Katurian’s brother Michal is played with wholesome naivety by Connor James-Ryan, who skilfully conveys both the character’s childlike, straightforward nature, as well as his darker, damaged side. Their relationship feels deep and authentic, brimming with trauma and emotion.

Between them all, they capture the heart of the play – the ideas of legacy, worth, and how the stories of our past play out in our future – in a truly engrossing way.

There is a real sense of the real world versus Katurian’s story world – a detailed, realistic interrogation room gives way to shadows and echoes as we witness the telling of one of her more chilling and powerful stories. The sound design, which is sparse during the interrogation scenes, emerges from the darkness and completes this sensory experience. It’s a ghost story in which the line between fiction and reality is blurred and the audience is compelled to ask, as Katurian does, how far we can believe what is being presented to us. Davies makes full use of the staging to pull off twist after twist and keep the audience firmly on the edge of their seats.

The Pillowman may be known for its dark themes, but this production encompasses so much more than the horror of its trigger warnings. It’s funny, tender, galvanising, introspective, and, by the end, deeply emotional. It takes hold of the audience and questions them – or, rather, asks them to question themselves – about what we hold to be true, who it is that tells our stories and what a happy ending really looks like. It is brilliantly acted and thoughtfully directed – a genuinely creative piece of theatre. If the only duty of a storyteller is to tell a story, as Katurian asserts, then this is a cast of true storytellers.

The Pillowman plays at Theatre Royal Ramsbottom until Saturday 22 November. Tickets are available here.

Hannah Molyneux is a proudly Mancunian writer and musician whose day job revolves around community engagement. She is passionate about community arts and the huge benefits they have for people and places. Hannah can most often be found enjoying the great outdoors or optimistically crafting with her children. You can read more of her writing here. You can find her on Instagram here.