The Beauty Queen of Leenane returns!

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/1/16 at 10:14pm

Druid will be re-staging a 20th anniversary production of Martin McDonagh's "The Beauty Queen of Leenane"!

Even better - original cast member, Tony-winning Marie Mullen will return! Even better than that, this time she will playing the role of Mag, the elderly mother originally played by Anna Manahan in the Broadway production.

Unfortunately, it won't reach the US until 2017* - but I, for one, am excited!

The Beauty Queen of Leenane

 

Druid officially opened the Town Hall Theatre in 1996 with the premiere of The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh. In September, to mark the 20th anniversary of its opening, Druid will return with a new production of the award winning play. Garry Hynes will once again direct this dark comedy and Marie Mullen will this time play the role of manipulative ageing mother Mag, having originally played the part of daughter Maureen in 1996.

Touring is central to Druid and The Beauty Queen of Leenane will be the company’s flagship touring production for this coming winter and spring 2017. After its Galway run, the production will play across Ireland and embark upon a coast-to-coast tour of the US.

Druid received four Tony Awards for the original production in 1998, including Best Direction of a Play (Hynes), Best Leading Actress, Best Featured Actress (Mullen) and Best Featured Actor.

 Link (Druid website)

 

*Um, except for L.A....

Updated On: 10/21/16 at 10:14 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 2/1/16 at 10:36pm

Great news! I hope I can catch it somewhere! 

 

I don't love it as much as his other works, but it's still great. I'm always willing to listen to some witty McDonagh dialogue :) 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/1/16 at 10:37pm

20 years. My god. But this is still one of the greatest plays I've ever seen and I pray I'll get a chance to see this. 

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/1/16 at 11:28pm

I've only ever read the playscript, which is why I'm so thrilled that the first time I see it onstage will be this production. Hurrah.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 2/2/16 at 12:45am

I saw a fantastic production of this in 2011 at the Young Vic in London and it's still one of my favorite things I've ever seen. It's truly a haunting play.

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 2/10/16 at 8:40am

Very excited by this! Did anyone else see the Broadway production? Interested to hear more thoughts on what I would say is one of the finest, most chilling plays written in the past 30 years

[mamaleh]

Posted: 2/10/16 at 9:07am

I was not familiar with McDonagh's work 20 years ago when I saw the play so was startled but mesmerized by his adroit, darkly comedic writing and bursts of violence.  I've made it a point to try to catch all his plays since then---as well as the films for which he wrote the screenplay, including my favorites IN BRUGES and SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS. His best play is probably THE PILLOWMAN but BEAUTY QUEEN doesn't fall far behind. I'm looking forward to the new production.

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 7:58pm

I saw it tonight in Dublin - the same cast travelling overseas or so I believe.

I had read the play and loved it and have been a fan of McDonagh's other plays but never saw one performed live. I was very excited and am happy to report: it's a thrilling production. Of course I don't know how Anna Manahan played the role but Marie Mullen played it different to how I imagined it. In reading the play, I always thought Mag was absolutely aware of what she was doing but tonight she seemed somewhat naive - how is what she's doing to her daughter wrong, almost. I'm curious as to how people felt about Manahan's portrayal. 

I was also thrilled to finally see how that infamous scene was staged - audible gasps all round. 

Edit: I realise that perhaps sounds like a criticism regarding Marie Mullen. I thought she was incredible. I had watch many interviews with her in the past day or two knowing I'd see her on stage and it was hard to believe it was the same woman. A cliche, I know, but she had so many brilliant yet subtle nuances - it was beautifully performed. 

Updated On: 10/21/16 at 07:58 PM

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 9:16pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Unfortunately it won't reach the US until 2017, but I, for one, am excited."

 The last time I looked, L.A. was still part of the U.S.  

It's playing at the Mark Taper Forum from November 9 to December 18, 2016. Have had my ticket for several months now.

https://www.centertheatregroup.org/about/press-room/press-releases-and-photos/archive/2016/september/cast-set-for-the-beauty-queen-of-leenane-at-taper/


 

Updated On: 10/21/16 at 09:16 PM

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 9:43pm

Oops, my apologies. I must have just been seeing things from my own angle!

Full schedule (so far) :

Druid presents Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane directed by Garry Hynes on a coast-to-coast US tour in 2016 – 2017 plus dates at the prestigious Hong Kong Arts Festival. This explosive production will play at:

Los Angeles: Taper Forum
9th November – 18th December 2016

Boston: Arts Emerson
8th – 19th February 2017

Pittsburgh: August Wilson Center
2nd – 4th March

Ann Arbor
9th – 11th March 2017

More dates to be announced – stay tuned!

 
P.S. Thanks for the report, Younger Brother!

 

 

Updated On: 10/21/16 at 09:43 PM

[kingfan011]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 10:51pm

This play holds a special place in my heart. For two long  weekends in my high school year my parents took me to New York from Tennessee to treat us all to some Broadway shows. While we were lucky enough to see some special things including the revival of Caberet with Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh and the first off Broadway production of Hedwig it is the original production of Beauty Queen remains the most memorable simply because it was the most unexpected. We went in completely blind and we're completely shocked with what we were seeing on stage. Unexpected, shocking, and surprisingly emotional.

Updated On: 10/21/16 at 10:51 PM

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 1:48pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: 
P.S. Thanks for the report, Younger Brother!
 

My pleasure! I believe it's a sort of replica of the original production with the same design and direction. Glad to hear so many people enjoy the play
 

 

 

"

 

Posted: 10/22/16 at 5:52pm

I saw this tonight in Dublin and loved it. I'm a big admirer of Martin McDonagh but had never seen this one. 

 

This has to be a great play for an actor to be in. All four characters had some great moments. Hilarious and pretty heartbreaking. 

 

Coming from not too far from where the play is set some of the dialog and character interactions were very close to the bone. 

 

Ive seen all the actors in several things before and they all gave great performances. Special praise has to go to Marie Mullen who really made Mag such an infuriating character. From the moment Pato specifies that his letter must be handed to Maureen you knew what was going to happen. And yet when it did happen the audience gasped. 

 

One of the best plays I've seen in a while and if you get the chance to see it I highly recommend it 

Posted: 10/22/16 at 5:53pm

Double post shenanigans

Updated On: 10/22/16 at 05:53 PM

[10086sunset]

Posted: 10/27/16 at 7:36am

January 11 - February 5th at BAM

BAM member onsale 11/7@10

General onsale 11/14@10

[Harriet Craig]

Posted: 10/27/16 at 2:57pm

Thanks for the info, sunset. Just a small clarification: according to the BAM brochure which I received today, the 11/14 onsale date for non-members is for subscriptions only. The general onsale date for single tickets is 12/7.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 10/27/16 at 7:35pm

Thanks for the clarification, Harriet. Check your sources, sunset/Michael. :)

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/27/16 at 11:28pm

I probably won't revisit this, but I saw a great production of this in Buenos Aires' theatre district.

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 10/28/16 at 12:06am

I'd definitely put this production under the heading of essential viewing, even if you've seen another production of the play. Garry Hynes is a visionary, and having the chance to experience her revisiting the play that she collaborated with McDonagh on that gave him his career and her a Tony, with Marie Mullen returning to the mother's role after having won her Tony for playing the daughter in the original, and collaborating with Druid stalwarts Aisling O'Sullivan, Marty Rea, and Aaron Monaghan – well, it will be definitive, and I count it as a can't-miss event of the season.  

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/28/16 at 7:39am

Really looking forward to seeing this in LA, never seen it before. 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 11/10/16 at 11:48pm

Saw the first performance of Druids Beauty Queen last night,  it took a little while to get past the really thick Irish accents, but once you did what a brilliantly funny, scary, upsetting, horrifying, night of theatre it was. The cast was superb, highly recommend, grabbed a hotix an hour before the show and end up in the Centre section row D. 

[M.O.A.I.]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 4:12pm

Double post.

Updated On: 11/16/16 at 04:12 PM

[M.O.A.I.]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 4:12pm

Way too young to have seen the original production, but I thought this one was absolutely astonishing. Although I'd loved In Bruges as well as the NT Live screening of Hangmen, I went in mostly blind and while it took two or three minutes to adjust to the heavy Oirish accents, it certainly was a good decision. Kind of struck me as a Galway Glass Menagerie by way of Tarantino. Beautiful staging - Garry Hynes' hand is steady but invisible - and I loved how scorched and sooted the set was, complemented by the omnipresent rain in the windows and above the house.

Marie Mullen is absolutely extraordinary, and a master of economy. She has tremendous vocal color and variety, but it's remarkable just how much she can get by alternating the rhythms of her rocking chair or by glancing across the room. It's a performance that's incredibly full of life and detail despite being mostly confined to a rocking chair. And Aisling O'Sullivan brings a perfect mixture of cruelty and childishness. It's fascinating as the power dynamic between the two women switches back and forth how we perceive their relative wisdom and maturity. Marty Rea is lovely as the suitor, and Aaron Monaghan very funny as his smartass brother.

If you're in LA for the Taper run, or if you can see it at BAM or on tour next year, I'd say it's a can't miss production!

Updated On: 11/16/16 at 04:12 PM

[bandit964]

Posted: 12/7/16 at 11:09am

Single tickets on sale NOW.

 

Just got front row center balcony for $25!

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/7/16 at 11:35am

Thanks so much for the tip, bandit964! Can't beat that price.