The Lonesome West

In a God-forsaken corner of an Irish village, two brothers argue constantly, hate each other and fight to the death over even the most trivial things. Although no one remembers what started the quarrel, as soon as they open their eyes, both set 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 members of a family—brothers—live off and feed on hatred for one another. The dramaturgy is so wonderful because McDonagh can turn up the heat to the extreme. When it seems there is no way out, a mysteriously deranged 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 instance, when driving, God forbid I inconvenience another driver 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.