The Lonesome West

In a Godforsaken corner of an Irish village, two brothers constantly argue, hate each other and fight to the death over even the smallest things. Though no one remembers what started the feud, as soon as they open their eyes each morning, the two head off to argue as if it were their job. The Lonesome West (1997), a play by Irish-born British playwright and screenwriter Martin McDonagh, often staged in Latvia, is the final work in the author’s Leenane Trilogy. “I was drawn to the theme of how the closest family members—brothers—live and feed off their hatred for one another. The writing is so wonderful because McDonagh can build it up to an extreme point. When it seems there is no way out, a mysteriously absurd solution suddenly appears. McDonagh’s writing is characterised by very direct language—it is dark, but at the same time very witty, funny, and actually says quite a lot about how we in Latvia often treat one another too. You don’t have to look far—for example, when driving, God forbid I inconvenience another driver even a little, their outburst of hatred will be no less than in this play—they may even wonder why I was born at all!” the director draws parallels.