Four Letter Word Theatre’s production of The Pillowman is a visually exciting and emotionally confronting experience which allows the audience to truly feel the actions taking place in front of them.

The audience takes a seat around a rectangular mesh screen hanging from the roof looking onto a sitting man with a cloth bag over his head. The man is Katurian (Jess Newman), a writer who is suspected to be involved in the murders of three children by the police in an un-named totalitarian state. It slowly becomes obvious that the audience is sitting outside the walls of the room looking in as if they were invisible.

Two policemen, Tupolski and Ariel (Josiah Lulham and Ross Dwyer), walk into the room and begin their questioning. The murders committed are replicating Katurian’s stories, which are simultaneously hauntingly beautiful, yet gruesomely violent against children. Katurian’s brother, Michal (Josh Orpin) confesses to the murders, as the police try to find the third child who may still be alive. However, the play is more about the troubled psyches of each character.

Written by Martin McDonagh, the director of In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, The Pillowman is a exploration of where stories end and real life begins. As such, Katurian only cares about the wellbeing of his brother and the legacy of his stories, even accepting certain death as long as his stories will be kept safe. However, it becomes evident throughout the play that his stories are closely intertwined with his own experiences. Indeed, every character is somehow impacted by some previous experience, from the volatile and aggressive Ariel who was raped by his father as a child to the drowning of Tupolski’s son. Therefore, each character is essentially forced into stories and clichés to which they can adhere or try to rebel.

Katurian, especially, becomes symbolic of the creative mind itself, as he writes not for commercial success, nor to publicise an agenda, but to understand the suffering of the world which he has been forced into. Indeed, the most important character, although he is not real, is ‘The Pillowman’, a man made out of pillows which goes back in time to convince children who will commit suicide later in life to kill themselves before they have to suffer the sadness which is destined for them. As such, each character is constantly trying to escape from the mental and physical hell in to which they have been thrust, regardless of how futile it may be.

The decision to stage this within a gallery in Collingwood allows for a personal experience within each audience member. Someone on the other side of the room will see something which no one else will see. Therefore, this show will be something else to everybody. To some, it may be an over-exaggerated look at the brutality of mankind, told through a veil of dark humour. One can expect to laugh and feel uncomfortable for doing so. To others, it may be a confronting perspective on the psychological effects of child abuse. Yet, to all, this production is a sensual journey which illustrates the fine line between fiction and fact which will confront the beliefs of the audience.

For those looking for a socially relevant, beautifully gruesome, yet strangely optimistic production, look no further. Full of tangible emotions, a simple, yet effective art style, The Pillowman is a reminder that although the world is full of pain, as long as there is some beauty within one’s life, even for a second, then maybe it is worth living.

Click here for more information about the show and to purchase tickets.