Martin McDonagh’s international hit had its premiere in 1996 but, in form, it could date from any time in the preceding century. Theatregoers since Ibsen would recognise the single set with its realistic representation of a Connemara cottage, the two-act structure and the story of a grown-up daughter whose dreams are thwarted by the demands of a cantankerous mother.
The electric kettle, the packets of Complan and the absence of mobile phones allow you to put a more precise date on it, but the appeal of The Beauty Queen of Leenane lies partly in its timelessness.
