By: Darryl Reilly
A hilarious shadow puppet sequence depicting the twisted yarn of “The Little Jesus,” is a grand highlight of this exhilarating revival of Martin McDonagh’s mind-blowing, black comedy masterpiece, The Pillowman. That gruesome fable which is wildly dramatized, involves the Messiah’s Biblical atrocities being inflicted on an idealistic young girl by her malevolent foster parents; it is characteristic of McDonagh’s mordant wit and gleeful flair for the grotesque.
Why don’t we start torturing him, and cut out all this shit?
I’m a high-ranking police officer of a totalitarian dictatorship, why would you take my word on anything?
Passionate slaughterhouse worker Katurian has the soul of an artist and is preoccupied with his legacy. He has written 400 short stories, only one of which has been published by a minor publication in an unnamed, perhaps Eastern European country. His grisly fairy tale-style works were inspired by his brutally abusive childhood, among these is the creepy “The Pillowman,” and another is about a “Jew boy.” A series of child killings which mirror his lurid plots have led the authorities to detain him in a foreboding interrogation room, his elder, mentally challenged brother is an adjacent, similar space. An older “good” cop and a younger bad cop conduct a harrowing inquiry replete with violence, electrodes and an execution hood. We are in the queasy realms of Franz Kafka and Harold Pinter, with delicious flourishes of Joe Orton. McDonagh echoes these literary giants’ concerns while putting his own distinctive spin on them during his ostensible crime procedural. The theme of the artist clashing with governmental oppression is vividly explored through his ravishing dialogue.
The Pillowman was conceived in the 1990’s, it premiered in London in 2003, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play; its Broadway debut was in 2005. This jolting incarnation is presented by the Queens-based Headwall Theatre Company which was founded in 2018 by producer and its artistic director Michelle Orosz. It is performed at Woodside’s Secret Theatre by an awesome cast possessed of superior comic timing.
(Photo credit: Laura Yost)
The tall, lithe and magnetic Brian Patterson is supreme as Katurian. Mr. Patterson’s kinetic physicality and soaring tenor voice enforce his galvanizing characterization as the play’s tortured centerpiece. Whether interacting with the ensemble, or narrating his character’s unsettling stories, Patterson is indelible. Recalling at times Don Rickles and J.K. Simmons, the shaven-headed and physically imposing Jonathan Dauermann wickedly veers from antic to menacing as the domineering, older detective. Mr. Dauermann is uproarious when reciting his character’s own quirky short story about a deaf Chinese boy with a stereotypical Chinese accent.
Clad in all black and later a taut, white tank top, the sensually athletic Nicholas James Reilly offers a scorching portrayal of the emotionally disturbed younger detective. With his expressive vocal cadences, swift movements and arresting face, the youthful Reilly is entrancing. The bearded and personable Chris Robertson is tremendously poignant as the troubled older brother. At the performance under review, the beaming Luli Ortega made a sly impression in the rotating role of a silent, pivotal child. Sarah Brunner’s brief voice over cameo as concerned mother was movingly affective.
Director Josh Lombard masterminds this exquisite production. Mr. Lombard guides these rich performances, employs vigorously precise physical staging on a contained playing area, and harnesses high caliber stagecraft. He is aided by assistant director Marianne Goodell and the dazzling fight coordination of Mr. Reilly and Mr. Robertson; breathtaking slaps and punches abound. Scenic designer Brian Bernhard’s arresting, muddy earth tone, grim interrogation room is of ominous claustrophobia. Ian Hoffman’s wryly outrageous shadow puppetry and makeup, FX and mask designer Kyle Krueger both enhance Katurian’s story recitations. Music supervisor Nate Festinger provides a suitably atmospheric aural landscape. Makeup and FX design associate Christina Kim, technical director John Orosz, prop master Dan Stafford, and production stage manager Reese Blanchard’s contributions are all exemplary.
The Pillowman is a staggering, monumental and haunting piece of dramatic literature; this beautiful iteration faithfully affirms Martin McDonagh’s resonant and jauntily bleak vision.
The Pillowman (through April 12, 2025)
Headwall Theatre Company
The Secret Theatre, 3802 61st Street, in Woodside, Queens
For tickets, visit www.headwalltheatrecompany.org
Running time: three hours including one intermission