The Lonesome West

In a Godforsaken corner of an Irish village, two brothers argue constantly, hate each other, and fight to the death over even the most trivial things. Though no one remembers what started the feud, as soon as they open their eyes each morning, both set about arguing 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.

“What drew me to it was the theme of how the closest family members—brothers—live and feed on their hatred for each other. The writing is so brilliant because McDonagh can turn up the heat to the extreme. When it seems there is no way out, a mystically insane solution suddenly appears. McDonagh’s writing is characterised by very direct language—it is dark, but at the same time very witty and funny, and it actually says quite a lot about how we in Latvia often treat one another, too. You don’t have to look far: when you’re driving, God forbid I inconvenience another driver slightly—their outburst of hatred will be no less than in this play. They might even wonder why I was born at all!” the director says, drawing parallels.