The McDonagh Files Dark comedy, Irish wit, and the world of Martin McDonagh

The McDonagh Files

Dark comedy, Irish wit, and the world of Martin McDonagh

Latest Articles

The Town That Wasn't on the Map Until the Whole of Britain Was Quoting It
Deep Dives

The Town That Wasn't on the Map Until the Whole of Britain Was Quoting It

Leenane has a population smaller than a London bus, yet its fictionalised troubles have filled theatres from Sloane Square to Salford. We trace how one rural Irish village became the beating black heart of British theatre-going.
Layer by Layer: Why Every McDonagh Story Is an Onion in Disguise
Deep Dives

Layer by Layer: Why Every McDonagh Story Is an Onion in Disguise

Peel back the jokes in In Bruges, Three Billboards, and The Banshees of Inisherin and you'll find the same thing underneath: grief, guilt, and a bloke having a very bad time. We trace McDonagh's signature onion structure across three decades of making Britain and Ireland laugh until it hurts.