The Beauty Queen of Leenane [Paperback]

The Beauty Queen of Leenanewas first presented as a Druid Theatre/Royal Court Theatre co-production in January 1996.

Set in the mountains of Connemara, County Galway,The Beauty Queen of Leenanetells 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.

The Beauty Queen of Leenanetells 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 playThe Beauty Queen of Leenanewas nominated for six Tony awards, of which it won four, and the Laurence Olivier Award. In 2003, his playThe Pillowmanhad its world premiere at the Royal National Theatre and received the 2004 Olivier Award. In 2006, Martin McDonagh won an Oscar for his short filmSix Shooter.

He (McDonagh) offers all the familiar delights of farce and melodrama, while at the same time offering a powerful critique of contemporary Ireland. Michael Billington, Guardian, 22.07.10

Martin McDonagh's play...is not the callous thing that we often hail as ;black comedy', but a richly human illustration of that tragicomic paradox. If it wasn't so funny it would be squalid Libby Purves, The Times, 22.07.10

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. Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph, 23.07.10

His (McDonagh's) ear for the Irish rhythms and the absurdities of everyday speech is matchless. Georgina Brown, Mail on Sunday, 01.08.10lÃF