With echoes of Stoppard, Kafka and the Brothers Grimm, The Pillowman centers on a writer in an unnamed totalitarian state who is being interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a series of child murders. The result is an urgent work of theatrical bravura and an unflinching examination of the very nature and purpose of art.
The Pillowman was originally produced by the National Theatre at the Cottesloe in London on 13 November 2003. It opened on Broadway at the Booth Theater on 10 April 2005. Directed by John Crowley, the production featured Jeff Goldblum, Billy Crudup, Željko Ivanek and Michael Stuhlbarg.