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The Lieutenant of Inishmore

 
The Lieutenant of Inishmore

 
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The Lieutenant of Inishmore
 
 
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The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a black comedy
Black comedy

file:Hopscotch to oblivion.jpgBlack comedy is a sub-genre of comedy and satire in which topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo are treated in a satirical or humorous manner while retaining its seriousness....
 by playwright
Playwright

A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. These works may be written specifically to be performed by actors or they may be closet dramas or literary works written using dramatic forms but not meant for performance....
 Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh

Martin McDonagh is a contemporary English-born Irish people playwright and film director....
, first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company

The Royal Shakespeare Company is a British theatre company. Located primarily at Stratford-upon-Avon, with bases also in London and Theatre Royal, Newcastle, it is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly-funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal National Theatre....
 in London in 2001.

y, a young boy, is riding his mountain bike down a road, when he finds a cat lying dead on the ground. He then scoops it up and takes it inside the nearest house, where Donny lives. Donny reveals the cat must be Wee Thomas, his son's cat and only friend for the last 15 years.






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The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a black comedy
Black comedy

file:Hopscotch to oblivion.jpgBlack comedy is a sub-genre of comedy and satire in which topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo are treated in a satirical or humorous manner while retaining its seriousness....
 by playwright
Playwright

A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. These works may be written specifically to be performed by actors or they may be closet dramas or literary works written using dramatic forms but not meant for performance....
 Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh

Martin McDonagh is a contemporary English-born Irish people playwright and film director....
, first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company

The Royal Shakespeare Company is a British theatre company. Located primarily at Stratford-upon-Avon, with bases also in London and Theatre Royal, Newcastle, it is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly-funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal National Theatre....
 in London in 2001.

Plot

Davey, a young boy, is riding his mountain bike down a road, when he finds a cat lying dead on the ground. He then scoops it up and takes it inside the nearest house, where Donny lives. Donny reveals the cat must be Wee Thomas, his son's cat and only friend for the last 15 years. Upon hearing that Donny's son is Padraic, Davey freaks out, knowing Padraic has a reputation for being mad. Davey pleads with Donny to not involve him as he wishes to stay alive. Donny agrees if Davey admits he killed the cat. Davey does so, only to protect himself. Donny then plans to call Padraic, who is on the mainland, and tell him that Wee Thomas is poorly. Davey does not understand, so Donny explains the concept of letting him down easy. Davey agrees and proceeds to pester Donny to call.

The play then switches to Padraic, who has James, a drug seller, tied up and in pain. Padraic proceeds to pull out two entire toenails from one foot, before explaining that James should go to the hospital, as he doesn't want them to go septic. James proceeds to insult Padraic who then decides to cut off one of his nipples, after knocking multiple teeth out. Just before cutting James' nipple off, Padraic gets the call from Donny saying that Wee Thomas is poorly and off his food. Padraic breaks down into tears and says that he will be on the first boat back to Inishmore. James then suggests ringworm tablets in some cheese, as his cat had the same problem a month or two back. Padraic then releases James and gives him money for the bus to the hospital.

Mairead, Davey's younger sister, then commences shooting at Davey out on the road for killing the cat. Davey attempts to explain he is innocent and that Mairead is mad for shooting the eyes out of ten cows. Mairead, 16, explains it was her version of terrorism. Christy enters and lets Davey escape.

Productions

After London it began a run at the Atlantic Theater Company
Atlantic Theater Company

Atlantic Theater Company is an award-winning off-Broadway, not-for-profit theater whose mission is to produce great plays simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble....
 in New York City on February 27th of 2006, garnering several Lucille Lortel Award nominations and procuring an Obie Award for Martin McDonagh. It the transferred to the Lyceum Theatre
Lyceum Theatre

Lyceum Theatre may refer to:* Lyceum Theatre, London, a 2,000-seat West End theatre located in the City of Westminster* Lyceum Theatre , a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 149 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan...
, on Broadway
Broadway (New York City)

Broadway, as the name implies, is a wide avenue in New York City. While New York has several other Broadways, in the context of the city it usually refers to the Manhattan street....
 on May 3rd 2006. The opening night cast included Jeff Binder, Andrew Connolly, Dashiell Eaves
Dashiell Eaves

Dashiell Eaves is an United States actor. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico, and later moved with his family to Rochester, New York, New York where he attended the School of the Arts ....
, Peter Gerety
Peter Gerety

Peter Gerety is an United States actor.Gerety began acting while a student at Boston University, participating in productions at the Charles Playhouse....
, Domhnall Gleeson, Brian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James

Brian d'Arcy James is an United States actor and musician....
, Alison Pill
Alison Pill

Alison Elizabeth Pill is a Canada film, television and theatre actor. In 2006, Pill starred as Grace Webster in the short-lived NBC drama The Book of Daniel , and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore....
, and David Wilmot
David Wilmot

David Wilmot was a United States of America political figure. He was a sponsor and eponym of the Wilmot Proviso which aimed to ban slavery in land gained from Mexico in the Mexican-American War of 1846?48....
. It was directed by Wilson Milam
Wilson Milam

Wilson Milam is a theatre director from Bellevue, Washington. He is a founding member and Artistic Director of The Hired Gun Theatre Company....
. It closed on September 32006.

Recent American runs include productions at GableStage, in Coral Gables, Florida, from August 11 to September 9, 2007, and at the Alley Theatre
Alley Theatre

The Alley Theatre is an indoor theatre in the city of Houston, Texas, and hosts two stages. The "Hubbard" is the main stage with seating for 824; the more intimate "Neuhaus" seats 310....
, in the Theater District of Houston, TX. It ran from January 25 to February 24, 2008. Also, Curious Theatre in Denver, Colorado produced a highly acclaimed production that ran from March 8th to April 19th, 2008, featuring a live cat named Thomas. The West Coast premier ran from April 25th to May 3rd 2008 at San Jose State University's Hal Todd Theatre.

It ran at the New Repertory Theatre in Boston, MA October 26-November 16, 2008. The most recent independent Australian production runs 30th of September to 18th of October 2008, at the Sue Benner Theatre, Metro Arts in Brisbane, Queensland, with special permission by Dominie Pty. Ltd.

Jobsite Theater
Jobsite Theater

Jobsite Theater is Downtown Tampa's regional theater company, and is the resident theater company of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Founded in 1998 by David M....
 in Tampa, FL will run the show March 18 - April 5, 2009 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Jobsite has previously produced McDonagh's The Pillowman
The Pillowman

The Pillowman is a 2003 Play by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. An especially dark black comedy, it tells the tale of Katurian, a fiction writer living in a police state who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories, and their similarities to a number of bizarre child murders occurring in his town....
 and The Beauty Queen of Leenane
The Beauty Queen of Leenane

The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a 1998 drama by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh premiered by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway Ireland. and subsequent successful runs at London's West End, and Broadway, and off-Broadway theatres in New York....
. This production features special effects rigs and props designed by Steve Tolin and Curious Theater Company's Annette Westerby, who have worked on many other Inishmore productions.

Awards

  • 2006 Alfréd Radok Award for Best Play
    Alfréd Radok Awards

    The Alfr?d Radok Awards are presented annually for achievements in Czech Republic theatre. Prize for Best performance was first awarded in 1992....
  • 2006 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play
  • 2006 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - David Wilmot
  • 2006 Obie Award for Playwriting - Martin McDonagh


Further reading


External links