Martin McDonagh

Martin McDonagh is a British playwright, screenwriter, and director. Born in London to Irish parents, he has a deep connection to Ireland, having spent his childhood summers on the Galway coast. His first six plays, including the Aaran Islands trilogy, are set in this location.

His 2003 play The Pillowman was his first play not to be set in Ireland and it won the Olivier Award for Best Play. His play, A Behanding in Spokane premiered on Broadway in 2010, starring Christopher Walken (in a Tony-winning role) and Sam Rockwell. This marked the first time McDonagh had set a play in the USA. His 2016 play Hangmen won the Olivier Award for Best Play.

McDonagh is also a successful screenwriter and won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2005 for Six Shooter. He was subsequently nominated for Academy Awards for his full length screenplays, In Bruges (which he directed and won a BAFTA award for Best Original Screenplay) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (which he also directed and won the BAFTA awards for Best Film and Best Film Screenplay Original Writing).