Thriller/drama play written by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh.
"The Pillowman opens in a prison cell where a young writer is being questioned about the children's tales he has written - grim tales which have inspired copycat killings in the streets outside. Two interrogators tease out the resemblance between real and fictional worlds while probing the personal responsibility of the writer. Story piles upon story as the evening progresses, and the tension mounts when parallel interviews taking place in the adjoining cell with the writer's brother are revealed.
The play engages the audience in both recreating the fantastical tales written for children and in defending the rights of the storyteller. The laughter provoked by McDonagh's gift for language and the tension provoked by his sublime flair for plot override the emotions of fear and pity but never let the black comedy settle into complacency. The storytelling skill will keep an audience on the edge of their seat to the last line."