The Beauty Queen of Leenane

Set in the mountains of Connemara, County Galway, The Beauty Queen of Leenane tells the darkly comic tale of Maureen Folan, a plain and lonely woman in her early forties, and Mag her manipulative ageing mother whose interference in Maureen's first and potentially last loving relationship sets in motion a train of events that is as gothically funny as it is horrific.

Martin McDonagh's first play The Beauty Queen of Leenane was nominated for six Tony awards, of which it won four, and the Laurence Olivier Award. In 2003, his play The Pillowman had its world premiere at the Royal National Theatre and received the 2004 Olivier Award. In 2006, Martin McDonagh won an Oscar for his short film Six Shooter.

"(McDonagh) offers all the familiar delights of farce and melodrama, while at the same time offering a powerful critique of contemporary Ireland."—The Guardian "A richly human illustration of that tragicomic paradox. If it wasn't so funny it would be squalid."—The Times (of London) "The dramatic tension McDonagh creates is brilliantly sustained, while the sudden twists and turns of the plot elicit genuine gasps of surprise from the audience."—Daily Telegraph "(McDonagh's) ear for the Irish rhythms and the absurdities of everyday speech is matchless."—Sunday Daily Mail  "Martin McDonagh is one of the top playwrights to have emerged in the 1990's."—Daily Mail