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 going to work. The Lonesome West (1997), a play by Irish-born British playwright and screenwriter Martin McDonagh that is 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 off and feed on hatred for one another. The writing is so wonderful because McDonagh can turn the tension up to the extreme. When it seems there is no way out, a strangely mad resolution 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 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.