By Laura Wybrow

Published: Friday, 11 November 2022 at 12:00 am


It’s been two decades in the making, but Martin McDonagh’s Olivier award-winning play is coming to the West End.

You’ll recognise playwright and director Martin McDonagh from his blockbusters like In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and the brand-new The Banshees of Inisherin.

Now, McDonagh’s play The Pillowman is coming to The Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End for a limited time run. It’ll be directed by Matthew Dunster, of Hangmen and A Very Very Very Dark Matter, and has an all-star cast, including Lily Allen and Steve Pemberton.

Lily Allen made her stage debut in McDonagh’s 2:22 – A Ghost Story, and now she’s back in the West End in 2023. Speaking about both Lily Allen and Steve Pemberton, McDonagh said: “I am a huge admirer of both Steve Pemberton and Lily Allen ⁠— their intelligence, their wit, their fun ⁠— and having Lily play Katurian, the first time this role has been played by a woman in an English-speaking version, is just so, so exciting to me.”

Commenting on the play itself, McDonagh also said: “I’m thrilled that The Pillowman is finally making its West End premiere. It’s a play that’s always been very close to my heart, in terms of its combination of dark comedy with its exploration of the nature of story-telling itself and the role of the artist in society.”

And, boy, has the West End premiere been a long time coming! The original version, starring David Tennant, received critical acclaim at the National Theatre, then went on to perform a season on Broadway with an American cast.

To see The Pillowman live in London next summer, here’s how you can secure tickets.

If you’re a fan of theatre, be sure to check out the best West End shows, and here’s how to get Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation tickets

Buy The Pillowman tickets at ATG Tickets

The Pillowman: Where and when is the London play showing?

The Pillowman is showing at The Duke of York’s Theatre. This iconic theatre opened in 1892 and was originally named the Trafalgar Square Theatre, before being renamed to its current name three years later to honour the future King George V.

The theatre is in the West End, and the closest station is Leicester Square for those of you planning on taking public transport.

From Saturday 10th June 2023 to Saturday 2nd September 2023, The Pillowman will be at The Duke of York’s Theatre.

Buy The Pillowman tickets at ATG Tickets

How to get tickets for The Pillowman

General on-sale for The Pillowman is happening right now, having gone live today (Friday 11th November) at 12pm.

Due to its limited-time run and all-star cast, we imagine tickets for The Pillowman will be very popular, so be sure to head to ATG Tickets as soon as you can.

Buy The Pillowman tickets at ATG Tickets

For the latest tickets, stay up to date with our Going Out section, where we have Peter Kay tour tickets and Cirque du Soleil: Kurios tickets.