From Leenane to L.A.

As a playwright, screenwriter, and film director, Martin McDonagh has amassed an exceptional body of work since the premiere of the controversial, hugely successful, and career altering The Beauty Queen of Leenane in 1996. This renowned work was followed by acclaimed and award winning plays and films, such as The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Pillowman, Six Shooter, In Bruges, and Seven Psychopaths. This wide ranging study considers the broad spectrum of influences on McDonagh's writing, his intricate dramaturgy, and complex relationships between the plays and their theatrical and broader social contexts. The book cogently, uniquely, and comprehensively articulates the elusive spirit and transgressive theatricality of one of the most notorious, unique, successful, and inspiring talents writing today.