12/11/2016
Lights out. Draw the curtains. Dismantle the set. After 5 weeks of travelling both Ireland and Northern Ireland, our second tour of The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh has come to an end. Approximately 7,000 people came to see the show this time, totaling around 32,000 audience members over the 2 tours. As a result of these attendance figures, we believe that this show is one of the most viewed shows in Ireland over the past 5 years - up there with the likes of Once the Musical, Dublin, The Gaiety Theatre's Borstal Boy and Landmark Productions' The Walworth Farce.
We wouldn't have been able to make the tour without the help of so many different people and organisations.
Firstly, we'd like to thank Martin McDonagh for gifting us the Irish premiere of his wonderful play of plays.
Secondly, we'd like to say thank all the venues who hosted this touring production this time around, including Siamsa Tire, Home to the National Folk Theatre, Town Hall Theatre Galway, The Grand Opera House, Belfast, Civic Theatre, The Watergate Theatre, The Lime Tree Theatre and, last but not least, The Everyman.
Thirdly, we'd like to thank Diarmuid Noyes, Peter Gowen, Gary Lydon, Owen Sharpe, Peter Shine, Kate Murray, Tara Finn, Rosa Mäkelä, Eilish McCarthy and Jarlath Tivnan for their outstanding acting efforts throughout the tour.
Fourthly, we'd like to congratulate our superb creative team consisting of Andrew Flynn (director), Owen MacCarthaigh (set design), Carl Kennedy (sound design), Ciaran Bagnall Design (lighting design) and Petra Breathnach (costume design).
Finally, we'd like to thank our funders, Arts Council Ireland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland, for their belief in our artistic work and our regional touring values. Also, we'd like to thank Pat Egan Management and Lyric Theatre Belfast for their financial assistance in the first tour of The Pillowman - without your help, we couldn't have toured this show the first or indeed the second time around.
All in all, this was another heartwarming experience for our company. The gasps and giggles, howls and horrors, excitement and elation emitted by The Pillowman's audience members warmed our company's heart on every single night.
So Decadent says: here's to The Pillowman! Here's to regional theatre! Here's to another wonderful tour in the bag!
Good luck and goodbye, for now, folks :)
