A Skull in Connemara by superstar British playwright Martin McDonagh is given its second Canadian production by Richard Wolfe and Theatre Conspiracy.
Mick Dowd has a dirty job to do—he has to get rid of dead bodies that have been in their graves for 7 years in order to keep the cemetery from getting too full for new burials. How exactly he disposes of the dead bodies is a mystery, until one night he has to dig up his own dead wife’s body and finds the coffin—empty.
Photos by Tim Matheson (click an image for full size)
Critical Response
Richard Wolfe’s Western Theatre Conspiracy production brings McDonagh’s world vividly alive in all its dark comic grotesquery.
—Jerry Wasserman, The Province
Theatre Conspiracy stages fine production of Brit hit … Skull in Connemara is painted in the darkest shades of humour, but in the hands of Richard Wolfe, it’s surprisingly funny.
—Leanne Campbell, Westender
While some audience members may be offended at the dark, macabre humour of this work, the standard of the presentation is so high that it should be seen for the sake of the acting, direction, and production, and yes, its black Irish humour.
— Jane Penistan
A Skull in Connemara received 5 Jessie Award nominations including Outstanding Director and Outstanding Production.
Artistic and Production Personnel
- Directed by Richard Wolfe
- Featuring: William Samples, Johann Helf, Wendy Morrow-Donaldson and Adam Henderson.
- Original music by Chris Hind
- Lighting design by Alan Brodie
- Set design by David Roberts
- Costumes by Sandy Buck
- Staged Managed by Anne Taylor
June 2005