The Beauty Queen of Leenane
By Martin McDonagh
Directed by Robert Ashton
Albion Theatre
March 16, 2025
Jason Meyers, Teresa Doggett, Heather Matthews
Photo by John Lamb
Albion Theatre
Albion Theatre has quickly established itself as one of St. Louis’s more consistently excellent theatre companies. With an emphasis on works of British and Irish playwrights, director Robert Ashton and his team have turned their attentions to Ireland with their latest offering, Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane. This is a darkly comic, often brutal tale that’s consistent with most of McDonagh’s works, and Albion has staged it with a characterful, snarky tone that emphasizes the energy and excellence of a truly great, memorable cast.
As is usual for McDonagh’s plays, the characters here aren’t necessarily likable, although they are especially well-drawn and memorable. The focus here is on Maureen Folan (Heather Matthews), a middle-aged single woman who shares a small house in rural Leenane, Ireland with her grumpy, demanding mother Mag (Teresa Doggett). The two share an adversarial relationship, as the insecure Mag does what she can to keep Maureen home with her and taking care of her, since her other two daughters have married and moved out. Maureen resents being tied to her demanding mother, who insists on knowing everything about Maureen’s life and constantly “reminds” her that she’s never found a husband, and most likely never will, despite Maureen’s desperate desire to experience love, romance, sex, and anything that will get her away from her demanding mother. When their neighbor, the talkative and self-focused Ray Dooley (Austin Cochran) stops by to invite them to a “coming home” party for his brother Pato (Jason Meyers), who spends most of his time living and working in London, Mag tries to keep Maureen from finding out, but she does anyway and renews her acquaintance with the awkward but oddly charming Pato. Although they hit it off and share hopes for more of a relationship, of course this is a McDonagh play, and nothing runs smoothly. I won’t say anything else because it would spoil too much, but I will say that just when you think things can’t get any worse, remember who wrote this play and you’ll know that they probably will.
The characters are meticulously well-drawn and, for the most part, decidedly self-centered, and all are played remarkably well by the first-rate cast. Matthews is alternately gruff and persistently hopeful as the neglected, lonely-but-fierce Maureen, and her scenes with the outstanding Doggett as the irrepressibly meddling Mag are a highlight of this production. Meyers brings a strong air of gawky amiability to the show’s most likable character, Pato, and his chemistry with Matthews is convincing enough to get audiences to hope. There’s also a strong supporting performance by Cochran as the memorably annoying Ray, who plays a surprisingly critical role in the plot.
The atmosphere and mood of this play are well achieved and maintained by means of Chuck Winning’s well-appointed set, Gwynneth Rausch’s props, and Tracey Newcomb’s well-suited costumes. There’s also strong work from set painter Marjorie Williamson, lighting designer Eric Wennlund, and sound designer Ellie Schwetye. The rural Irish setting and tone of this play is crucial, and the technical aspects work well to transport the audience in a vivid and effective way.
Albion has quickly become one of my favorite theatre companies in St. Louis. It doesn’t hurt that I’m already an Anglophile, but the consistent excellence is what maintains the feeling that, when I hear about a new show from this company, I automatically expect it to be good. The Beauty Queen of Leenane is another success for this company, and even though the tone and occasional “gross-out” aspects of McDonagh’s works make me not the biggest fan of his plays, that is more of a personal taste issue and I can see his obvious talent. It’s productions like this one that make his shows especially worth watching.
Austin Cochran
Photo by John Lamb
Albion Theatre
Albion Theatre is presenting The Beauty Queen of Leenane at the Kranzberg Arts Center until March 30, 2025