The Pillowman - Hayman Theatre Company (28 November 2023)

A writer sits alone in a grimy interrogation room in some unnamed totalitarian state, head covered with a hood. His 'peculiar' brother is in the room next door. Two police detectives thunder in to take him to task about child murders that closely resemble stories he has written. Far too closely. He fears for his brother and his own safety - torture and execution are on the cards - but also fights for the preservation of the very stories that have landed him in this predicament. 

So begins The Pillowman, a brilliantly written play by Martin McDonagh who has subsequently made a splash in Hollywood with In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Banshees of Inisherin. It is confronting, bleak, darkly funny, thought provoking, and a blistering piece of theatre. 

It explores a writer's responsibility (or not) for the material they bring into the world; the culpability (or not) of those who may act on those stories in ways that weren't intended; the reasons why a writer may write the way they do; the choice of subject matter and themes they may explore even in the face of censorship; and the legacy they leave behind with their work. It is a tale full of stories - dark stories, twisted stories, stories that rarely have a happy ending but valid stories nonetheless. It's also a tale about two brothers and their bond, forged through the power of storytelling for better or for worse.

Those stories are teased out in expert fashion to reveal more about these people trapped in what otherwise might pass as purgatory. Even the police detectives who are brutal, hectoring, and relentless in response to the horror these stories have unleashed. There are twists, reversals, gasp inducing consequences, and even the faintest hint of a happy ending... if you need to grasp for such conclusions.   

But let me be clear. In a hallmark of McDonagh's writing it is also savagely funny. Sure, you're not going to get served up sitcom-style softballs but there is wit, intent, and intelligence behind the humour that will get under your skin. Yes, it is deliberately designed to provoke but the provocation is more than worth it. 

Director Travis Koch has assembled an excellent company of Hayman alumni and existing students, both on and off the stage. From the look of the play, the sound of it, and the performances, this is exceptional independent theatre not for the fainthearted.  

It all starts with that writer - Katurian K. Katurian - played by Samuel Ireland in a towering performance. Ireland is rarely off-stage and conveys such a wide array of emotions, mostly in a heightened state, that he is physically drained by the end of the play. His appearance, through makeup, costuming, and astute acting choices, slowly unravels to reflect the toll the character has exacted. Weary and haggard by the end, he looks like he's been put through the ringer and then some. Ireland convincingly portrays the confusion and fear of this unexpected bind Katurian finds himself in while also radiating moments of strength and defiance. His writer clings to a healthy sense of ego in the face of blunt 'literary criticism' from his accusers. But it's the empathy he shows for his brother Michal that is most affecting. An empathy that leads Katurian to do the unthinkable in a gut-wrenching moment. I was also impressed with his reactions to other characters - we know exactly what Katurian is thinking especially during one revelation that tilts everything on its head. All this while delivering his lines with a credible Irish accent. It's marvellous work.  

His brother Michal is played by Colin Gilligan who sports an authentic Irish accent having recently moved to Perth from the Emerald Isle. Michal is a profoundly damaged character who is too easily passed off by the cops as being 'slow' or a 'retard'. We will come to discover the awful truth about why this is. Gilligan successfully walks an incredibly tricky line between making Michal oblivious and canny. It's a fascinating performance and his long scene with Ireland in the second act of the play is mesmerising. 

On the other side of the interrogation table is Amber Gilmour as Tupolski, the self-proclaimed "good cop". Gilmour brings a casual cynicism and snarkiness to the detective who seems none too fussed about the use of torture to extract a confession. The story she tells Katurian in the third act to demonstrate her skill at 'detecting' is hilariously bad before the mood abruptly switches to being far more callous. The "bad cop" of the duo, Ariel, is played by Wilson Gilburt. Physically imposing, Gilburt revels in the 'torture' of Katurian, favouring a far blunter approach than his partner. He's not quite as compelling in the quieter moments where Ariel's actions and change of motivation are somewhat hazy. That's largely because Ariel's own revelation is treated perhaps a little too lightly in a moment of shtick with Tupolski. 

Kate Naunton Morgan and T. Mutta Beilby play various incarnations of Mother and Father with disturbing charm in one instance and even more disturbing cruelty in another. Arthur Brown is the Child, both real and imagined, and they exude an air of innocence even in the most alarming of situations.  

The world Koch has created along with Set Designer T. Mutta Beilby and Lighting & Sound Designer Sebastian Boyd adds to the sense of unease. The decay of the interrogation room is palpable from the rust stains on the filing cabinet to the mould on the walls, accentuated by the single light hovering ominously above the table. There is a writing desk stage right which is lit by a single candle, the blowing out of which is also used as a punctuation point at the end of several stories Katurian tells. 

That set opens out to reveal the Katurian's family home during the pivotal tale "The Writer and the Writer's Brother" and later the foster home the Child finds themselves in during the story "The Little Jesus". Brightly lit and colourfully appointed this acts as a counterpoint to the dingy interrogation room while also introducing an element of doubt about what is real and what is a well told fabrication. Costume & Props Designer Kiri Silva excels with an array of tools hanging from the walls that will make you squirm as you realise their terrible purpose. 

Finally there are the stories. Wonderfully written, beautifully performed. Stories worth fighting for despite their dark content. The story of "The Pillowman" itself is a moving and poignant one that reverberates throughout the play as each character embodies aspects of its message. Michal's response to being given a choice in light of all he knows will happen and the impact on Katurian is devastatingly astute. 

This is a terrific production of a superb play.  There are four more shows remaining until Saturday 2 December and is highly recommended.