SYNOPSIS: The Pillowman tells a tale of childhood trauma, violent oppression, and a writer Katurian Katurian, whose twisted stories gruesomely come to life.
Storytelling is definitely my cup of tea! And if it yours, as well, I’m pleased to say that with simple staging, along with puppetry and excellent performance skills from the entire group; GoodTime Theatre have produced an interesting & thought-provoking night of entertainment that I believe is worth the price of admission… or in my case the cost of fuel.
I’ve been interested in directing & putting my own spin on The Pillowman, since I first read it. Dark comedy, murder, serial killers, torture & horror stories are what you can expect from this production.
Directors Sophie Wickes & Hannah Boyd interestingly have cast it with a young all female cast which gave the material, in my opinion, a whole new approach. Whether you know the play or not, I suggest viewing this show from the point of view of a critique of the Cancel Culture movement. Imagine, if you can, a Totalitarian state, which is governed by people in their 20s and you have an idea of how to approach the Pillowman.
Swapping an older generation for a younger one and watching them turn on one of their own for being different, while challenging the stories & actions that define an individual and without understanding the context of that person’s life was both satisfying & disturbing.
By using a younger cast, it becomes difficult for an audience member to match the dialogue as spoken with the authors original intent. However, by approaching this production as something of a critique of cancel culture it allowed me to see this piece as social commentary and provided a contextual framework in which it became possible to construct a believable point of view. It shines an important light on the word: Context.
Watching GoodTime Theatre’s production help me develop whole new appreciation for the company and for McDonaghs script and how it can be staged. It also allowed me to sympathise more with Katurian Katurian, performed by director / actor Sophie Wickes, when you find out what his, or in this instance Her, “children stories” are based on and the reason her stories are so important to her and her legacy, in this cancel culture totalitarian society. Don’t get me wrong, I still see bad people as bad people, but I find learning & listening to the context behind their stories allows me to sympathise with them instead of just being perceived as a brutish animal, not governed by morals or human thought.
Directors Sophie Wickes & Hannah Boyd, and the team of Goodtime Theatre, have crafted a bare bone show that not only entertained & inspired but also had me thinking and discussing social issues, with a friend on the long drive home back to the Gold Coast.
Good theatre is meant to make you talk & think about social issues, without brow beating you or making you feel overwhelmed. GoodTime Theatre impressed me with their production of “Awakenings” (not to mentioned scarred my wife, who still talks about it) and they have done it again to me with “The Pillowman”.
I love productions that can do this and urge people to go and see the show, to form their own opinions & support local independent theatre.
The Pillowman is showing tonight at PiP Theatre, with a 7pm start. It season finished next Saturday 27th August.
Tickets are $40.00p.p. or $33.00 if you have a government concession or student card.
Use the word INDUSTRY25 when purchasing tickets and purchase ticketsfor $25p.p.
PiP Theatre is located in the heart of Milton at 20 Park Road, Queensland. The theatre is easily accessed by public transport and id surrounded by local restaurants!
This blog was written by Nathan Schulz aka The Drama Merchant