“An accomplished piece of theatre that is clear in its intent and firm in its convictions”
Upon booking tickets for ‘The Pillowman’, and again upon arrival at The Studio Theatre in West Bridgford, audience members are given content warnings about what is to come. It is necessary, as ‘The Pillowman’ is a particularly dark play, set in a totalitarian state where corrupt police detectives are investigating the murders of three children. Yet amidst the darkness, Marvellous Productions manage to find plenty of humour, creating two incredibly likeable protagonists in writer Katurian and her brother Michal, both accused of the murders but protesting their innocence. Each scene is broken up with Katurian narrating one of her stories, and whilst the moments of violence amidst the police interviews are shocking, it is these horrific tales that will linger in the memory long after you have left the theatre.
As Katurian, we see Cat Perry slowly broken over the course of the two-and-a-half hour play. Initially, when led into the interview room, she remains oddly optimistic, trying her best to assist the investigation and reacting in disbelief when she realises the police are deadly serious about the accusations brought against her. Throughout, her dedication to storytelling remains the focus, her loyalty to her fiction stronger than any other bond. Perry delivers narration directly to the audience, and it is utterly captivating. Occasionally, other actors are used to bring the stories to life, but it is not always necessary. Her recounting of the story of the Pillowman, which she tells to her brother to calm him down whilst in their jail cell, is delivered with utmost care and precision. There is hardly an intake of breath to be heard in the room as Perry’s story nears its conclusion. Writer Martin McDonagh has conjured several stories that are akin to Grimm Fairy Tales, and they are beautiful, if horrifying, to listen to.
In many of Katurian’s stories, children are murdered in brutal ways. These killings have started to be imitated in the real world, which leads to Katurian’s initial arrest. Detectives Tupolski (Jack Readyhoof) and Ariel (Robert Stott-Marshall) have very little sympathy for Katurian – there is no “innocent until proven guilty” in this world. Ariel is quick with his fists, and loses his temper suddenly, to the point where it occasionally seems that even Tupolski is walking on eggshells around him. Yet, before Stott-Marshall succumbs to the stereotypical “bad cop”, we are treated to a little more insight into Ariel’s background. A moment in the second act, where Ariel and Katurian finally begin to converse as regular human beings, initially feels out of character, yet it allows Stott-Marshall to peel away the layers of Ariel’s personality, giving us a glimpse of the insecurities underlying the copper’s bravado. It shows us that what we have seen so far is merely performative, and that he is suffering just as much in this oppressive regime as Katurian is.
Tupolski is potentially even more performative than Ariel, but we never get to properly understand him as a character. It is thanks to Readyhoof’s charismatic portrayal that the show manages to find a lot of its humour. Tupolski appears calm and in control, lounging back in his seat with his feet on the desk as he casually describes the brutal mutilation of a five year old boy. Yet there is something vicious in his language, clear signals of racism, anti-semitism and ableism in the way he talks. This is an inherently nasty man who gives the air of a gameshow host. It is oddly disconcerting, and adds to the unease that is present from the get-go.
One of the most moving scenes of the piece sees Katurian locked in a cell with her brother Michal (Arden Caspar-Jennison). We are told that Michal has learning difficulties, but thankfully Caspar-Jennison manages to avoid stereotypes, portraying Michal as innocent and naive in a way that is wholly inoffensive. He is an endearing character with an incredibly sad backstory, yet he still manages to find the joy in things. Michal seems to be a mostly happy character, a ray of light in the utter bleakness of the rest of the play. It is when this facade slips, therefore, that the play becomes ever more dismal, the brief flashes of anger when Michal loses his temper allowing the play to quickly move from a glimmer of lightheartedness back to its cheerless roots.
The sound design features nursery rhymes sung by children playing alongside scene transitions, which adds to the chilling atmosphere. The stage is mostly bare save for a desk and a filing cabinet, which contains many of the props that the characters use. Lighting helps distinguish between the naturalistic scenes and the interspersed narratives. Sound is used throughout to create a claustrophobic atmosphere, building the tension as key plot points come to the fore.
Yet for all the tension, the play occasionally strays too far into the comedic side. One cannot deny that this is a darkly comic piece – the way that the characters candidly discuss the most horrific of events is bound to elicit nervous laughs from the audience. But the delivery of some moments seems to try too hard to draw out this laughter. One moment in the final scene sees Tupolski tell his own story to Katurian, which is filled with racist imagery. But instead of delivering this speech to Perry, Readyhoof delivers it directly to the audience, presented almost as a piece of stand-up comedy. Up until this point, Katurian has been the only character to break this fourth wall. In having Tupolski do the same, it shifts the focus of the play in a way that, personally, doesn’t sit quite right with me.
Despite that, this is undoubtedly a theatrical masterpiece that, as their inaugural production, sees Marvellous Productions come out of the gates running. This is an accomplished piece of theatre that is clear in its intent and firm in its convictions. Some moments may be hard to stomach, but the show keeps you engrossed through its likeable protagonists and engaging story-telling. An excellent rendition of this superb play.
Tom Morley, July 2026
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