An eerie whodunit involving absurd coincidences

Director: Pritisha Punukollu
Duration: 120 minutes
Cast: Kartik Anand, Ashwin Mathew, Karthik Nambiar, Arunachalam S, Mohammed Salman, Sania Shakil, Mohit Indumukhi, Mridula Nair, Rohit Hari, Padma Priya, Gangatharan M
Language: English
Genre: Thriller/Dark Comedy
Rating: ***
Plot: Based on The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, the play’s protagonist is writer Katurian, who is brought in by the police for questioning over the gruesome content of his short stories that bear an eerie resemblance to a string of child murders.Drawn into the investigation is Katurian’s mentally-challenged older brother Michal. The sibling relationship, incidents from their shared childhood, and more unfold as investigators Tupolski and Ariel probe into the case to unveil the mystery behind the absurd coincidences between the real world and Katurian’s fictional creations.
Review: What works for The Pillowman, presented by the theatre troupe UnTied Laces, is the screenplay. With no end to the twists and turns, the audiences are, to state the cliché, on the edge of their seats. The dark humour is quirky and the actors’ spontaneity is commendable. Arunachalam S delivers an impactful performance as Michal, and is ably supported by performances given by Kartik Anand, Karthik Nambiar and Ashwin Mathew as Katurian, Ariel and Tupolski, respectively. Special mention to the costume team comprising Mohit Indumukhi, Mridula Nair, and Nishchitha Prasad for helming quite the haunting costume for the ‘pillowman’. Perhaps, a shorter run-time would’ve made for an even more ‘thrilling’ evening.
Final word: While the screenplay, and performances keep audiences engaged, editorial scissors could have been exercised more for a crisper length. If an eerie, psychological thriller with a dash of dark humour is your preferred genre, add this play to your must-watch list.