The Lieutenant of Inishmore

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a black comedy by playwright Martin McDonagh, who wrote the Tony award winning play, The Pillowman.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore was first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in London in 2003. Its most recent run was at the Lyceum Theatre, on Broadway. The opening night cast included Jeff Binder, Andrew Connolly, Dashiell Eaves, Peter Gerety, Domhnall Gleeson, Brian d'Arcy James, Alison Pill, and David Wilmot. It was directed by Wilson Milam. It closed on September 3, 2006.^[1]

The play is a bloody comedy about a ruthless and violent Irish National Liberation Army enforcer and the only thing in the world he really loves...his little black cat Wee Thomas.

The play comments on the hypocrisy of the violence of the main character and others. There is even a reference to some real life terrorist atrocities such as the murder of Australian tourists in Belgium by Irish republican terrorists who mistook them for British army personnel.

In the Broadway version, five gallons of fake blood (made from a mixture of peanut butter, chocolate syrup, and corn syrup) was used at each performance.

[edit] Awards

• Tony Award for Best Play (nominated)
• Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play-David Wilmot (nominated)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play-Domhnall Gleeson (nominated)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play-Alison Pill (nominated)
• Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play-Wilson Milam (nominated)
• Drama Desk Award Outstanding Play (nominated)^[2]

• Alfréd Radok Award for Best Play (won)

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• IBDB entry
• Review of British production
• "Buckets of Blood Means It's Curtains" Washigton Post

Works by Martin McDonagh
The Leenane Trilogy: The Beauty Queen of Leenane | A Skull in Connemara | The Lonesome West
The Aran Islands Trilogy: The Cripple of Inishmaan | The Lieutenant of Inishmore | The Banshees of Inisheer
Other Plays: The Pillowman
Films: Six Shooter