The Pillowman
★★★☆☆ Protracted
Bedlam Theatre: Thu 9 – Sat 11 Apr 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
The Pillowman, by the EUTC at the Bedlam for three performances only, succeeds on many levels but cannot fully overcome some obvious problems.
Martin McDonagh’s 2003 play features the interrogation in an unnamed totalitarian state of one Katurian K. Katurian, a writer whose dark fairytales have been echoed by real-life murders.
Georgia Thomas, Tai Remus Elliot and Nik Pivovarsky. Pic: Emily Sharp.
There’s a great deal of thought-provoking stuff here about cycles of violence, state brutality and the role of the storyteller. However, you do start to wonder whether the political content says anything much, whether the fables have any real point, and whether the many instances of troubling language are there to exemplify the characters or just included to shock.
And the reason these questions come so readily to mind on this occasion is that there is such a great deal of time to ponder them. Far too much, indeed, in a production that breaks through three hours.
as chilly as expected
The stately pace that co-directors Rishi Bhardwaj and Scarlett Guang have fashioned means that the snappy rhythm necessary for the play’s (extremely dark) humour to succeed is not often achieved.
There are more mundane considerations, too. Having a running time a full hour longer than is advertised will lead to problems, not least in terms of audience comfort when even the interval is practically two hours after the start. (Despite the onset of Spring, the Bedlam auditorium is as chilly as expected).
Ben Black. Pic: Emily Sharp.
Not that what is on stage is inadequate. Much of it is very good. The two police interrogators, Tupolski (Georgia Thomas) and Ariel (Tai Remus Elliot) are particularly impressive. Elliot is chilling in Ariel’s more extreme moments, and handles the shifts in the character well. Thomas provides the most convincing handling of the play’s humour during Tupolski’s own storytelling stint towards the close, and has a comic assurance throughout.
Nik Pivovarsky has a steadfast humanity as Katurian, with the character’s wrestling with moral dilemmas made beautifully clear. The narration of his various stories also has considerable authority. Ben Black has a similar believability as his brother Michal; the character as written is a problematic one, but Black gives him a genuine force.
diligently and creatively
One of the problems with The Pillowman is making Katurian’s stories appear vital to him, and potentially dangerous to the audience. Their onstage presentation tends to undermine this; here, despite a somewhat earnest, over-literal approach, they come close to suggesting that power. Oliver Mason, Dora Revell, Sonia Ostrovsky act these out diligently and creatively; Ellie Donoghue also performs her role impressively.
The lighting (by Cal Hind and Audrey Nicholls) is effectively atmospheric, while there are elements of the staging that work tremendously well. Providing a corridor outside the interrogation room is an excellent idea; the scene where Tupolski eavesdrops on Ariel and Katurian outside the door is possibly the production’s most successful moment.
Oliver Mason, Sonia Ostrovsky and Dora Revell. Pic: Emily Sharp.
However, that door should just be left where it is. Doors on stage can be recalcitrant enough without being moved around as much as this one is, and the re-setting of scenes takes far too long, stretching out an already protracted first half. When your production is over three hours, you simply cannot afford to spend minutes at a time re-dressing sets unnecessarily.
That the end results of these movements does not justify the time spent does not mean that there is no effort or imagination behind them. On the contrary, it is the result of trying to do too much.
over-reverence
Similarly, the pacing issues come from over-reverence rather than lack of thought. This reverence means that there is an attempt at realism at some of the more harrowing moments that paradoxically makes them more artificial. Far better to go for broke and present the extremes in as extreme a fashion as possible.
There is enough talent here to overcome the problems, and to suggest that it could have been more effective. While the humour and the nastiness of the play don’t always come across, its troubled humanity shines through.
Running time: Three hours and 10 minutes (including one interval).
Bedlam Theatre, 11B Bristo Place, EH1 1EZ
Thursday 9 – Saturday 11 April 2026
Daily at 7.30 pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
Bedlam website: bedlamtheatre.co.uk/
EUTC Instagram: @eutcbedlamtheatre
Production Instagram: @thepillowman.eutc
Linktree: @eutcbedlamtheatre
Ellie Donoghue, Tai Remus Elliot and Georgia Thomas. Pic: Emily Sharp.
ENDS
