| The Beauty Queen of Leenane- the play by Martin McDonagh Where and when: The Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter, August 2 – 19, 2023 Director: Charmaine Weir-Smith Cast: Jennifer Steyn, Julie-Anne McDowell, Bryan Hiles and Sven Ruygrok Design: Greg King (set) and Denis Hutchinson (lighting). Producer: How Now Brown Cow Booking: Webtickets |
The Beauty Queen of Leenane, which won five Naledi Theatre Awards, including Best Production of a Play, has its Cape Town premiere at The Baxter in August 2023. The acclaimed play by Irish writer, Martin McDonagh is on from August 2-19, 2023.The director is Charmaine Weir-Smith and the cast features Jennifer Steyn, Julie-Anne McDowell, Bryan Hiles and Sven Ruygrok. Read on for more. Info as supplied.
WINNER OF FIVE NALEDI THEATRE AWARDS, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, BY TONY-AWARD NOMINEE MARTIN MCDONAGH, HAS CAPE TOWN PREMIERE AT THE BAXTER THEATRE
The Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter | Cape Town | August 2 – 19, 2023
WINNER OF FIVE NALEDI THEATRE AWARDS, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, BY TONY-AWARD NOMINEE MARTIN MCDONAGH, HAS CAPE TOWN PREMIERE AT THE BAXTER THEATRE
Winner of five Naledi Theatre Awards, The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a theatrical masterpiece by acclaimed Irish playwright Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin, In Bruge, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Hangmen). Recipient of four Tony Award nominations, the play is a darkly comic tale about the turbulent, dysfunctional, and often savage relationship between mother and daughter, Mag and Maureen Folan.
Presented by How Now Brown Cow, the production played to overwhelming critical acclaim at Johannesburg’s Theatre on the Square in 2022 and is now set for a limited transfer season to Cape Town’s Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter from August 2 to 19 2023.
Multi-award winner Charmaine Weir-Smith (The Train Driver) directs a stellar cast starring Jennifer Steyn (Recipes for Love and Murder, The Inconvenience Of Wings) as Mag, Julie-Anne McDowell (The Revlon Girl, Couplet) as Maureen, Bryan Hiles (Sweeney Todd, Cabaret) as Pato and Sven Ruygrok (Spud, Abraham Lincoln) as Ray.
The production is designed by multiple award-winning designers Greg King (set) and Denis Hutchinson (lighting).
The production won an incredible five Naledi Theatre Awards: Best Supporting Actress in a Play for Jennifer Steyn; Best Supporting Actor in a Play for Sven Ruygrok; Best Director of a Play for Charmaine Weir-Smith; Best Theatre Set Design for Greg King and the highly coveted Best Production of a Play. It also received nominations for Best Lead Actress in a Play for Julie-Anne McDowell and forBest Lighting Design by Denis Hutchinson.
The play centres around the life of Maureen, an unmarried middle-aged woman, as she cares for her ailing mother Mag and tries to find love. When the two brothers enter, we are set on a path to the play’s thrilling conclusion. Interspersed with romance and humour, this psychological thriller will have audiences on the edge of their seats.
The critical acclaim from the Johannesburg season included the following comments:
“… a hefty chunk of utter magic”
— Robyn Sassen
“… magnificent and biting foray”
— Robyn Sassen
“… An absolute, superb theatre experience”
— Catherine Grenfell
“… beautifully crafted and extraordinarily well performed work”.
— Robyn Sassen
“… It’s rare that a play stays with you days after watching it”.
— Arja Salafranca
“ … this work is the definition of universally fine drama. Do not miss it. Not on any account”
Robyn Sassen
“… This piece was the best we have seen in the years of reviewing”.
— GaloreSA
“… a rare privilege to get to enjoy theatre of this calibre”
— Adrian Poulsen
“… this is gripping theatre, capturing you from the moment it begins and never letting go”.
— Arja Salafranca
“ … exciting theatre against all odds”
— Chris Thurman
“… this play will rest deep with you”.
— Robyn Sassen
“…’n Mens sit in ongeloof oor wat jy aanskou. Steyn, McDowell skitter”
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