The Beauty Queen of Leenane

See it if Dark, sometimes funny. Bleakly claustrophobic. Intense. Riveting acting.

Don't see it if Accents are a big of work at times. Slow. Sometimes obvious.

Also Some of the main plots are given away (obvious to predict) way before they happen. Other than the last 15 minutes, there's a lot of suspense but very little surprise.... Read more Read less

See it if You like dark dysfunctional family dramas, balances comedy/drama nicely. Acting is superb.

Don't see it if You have a hard time understanding thick accents. It's important to be actively listening or you will miss things.

See it if 20th anniversary of McDonagh's pitch black dramedy is as riveting as ever The ensemble is as perfect as Hynes' Tony winning direction.

Don't see it if Irish/Gaelic accents often a little thick but seldom a problem Mullen's mother could be a bit more malevolent but a minor objection

See it if You love Martin McDonagh, or would enjoy an extremely dark, yet comic Irish drama.

Don't see it if You expect the humor of "Lieutenant of Inishmore". This isn't as raucous a comedy -- it focuses on familial mental illness.

See it if You like Irish plays that take your emotions on a roller coaster ride;mother-daughter drama at its best;exquisite cast from the Druids

Don't see it if You expect an action-packed play and dislike listening to dialogue spoken in a strong Irish accent; Dislike violence and elder abuse

Also As you probably read, Marie Mullen, who played the role of the daughter 19 years ago, is now playing the role of the mother.
Having seen the original play, Ms. Mullen's nuances add a different dimension to the play that made it more powerful than when I saw it the first time. Her facial expressions are perfect for the role.
The actor in the daughter's role and the two men in the cast are terrific. I never miss a Druid production.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy smart bitingly funny comedies with an edge that is both heartbreaking and beautiful

Don't see it if You have a really hard time understanding irish accents. I definitely missed some jokes because of the accents

See it if first-rate Irish actors in authentic Irish milieu. Mullen, Monaghan and Rea are priceless. Directed by Hynes, no one does Irish better.

Don't see it if you like your McDonagh leavened with humor. Accents are a bit challenging. I preferred Cripple Billy and Lieutenant of Inishmore

See it if you relish great acting, well drawn characters and intense relationships.

Don't see it if you crave happy endings and easy to like characters.

See it if you want a good Irish story, an intense drama about a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship that is disturbing but that also has humor

Don't see it if you don't want a disturbing suspenseful story offset with humor; or if you don't want to see emotional & physical abuse or hear profanity

Also 1. Irish accents are more difficult to understand in a bigger theater (versus Irish Rep.) I took to it relatively quickly but I was in the 2nd row.
2. I personally was slightly disappointed by the level of humor since I had read about the original and was in the mood for something suspenseful (it still was somewhat) and dark.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see brilliant acting, about a heartbreaking mother-daughter relationship - along with the daughter's moment of a sweet romance.

Don't see it if you don't like dramas, or a slowly paced show. I thought all 4 cast members were brilliant. - I saw in LA in Dec '16 w/ the same cast

See it if you want to see a well written play performed by masterful actors. I am a fan of Martin McDonagh.

Don't see it if you don't like dark plays. Accents are a bit difficult to understand at the beginning.

See it if You enjoy intense drama.

Don't see it if You prefer happy endings.

See it if you love M. Mcdonagh's dark, but brilliant play.This play is funny, but yet heartbreaking about a dysfunctional mother/daughter relation.

Don't see it if you don't like violent relationship plays where a mother, daughter try to outwit and hurt each other emotionally & physically.

See it if you're a fan of McDonaugh done on a master-level.

Don't see it if violence against the elderly or foul language bother you

See it if You want a taut, thrilling play to engage and surprise you. If you're a fan of Martin McDonagh's work. You can handle a monologue.

Don't see it if Sex, violence (including elder abuse), and rampant profanity is a dealbreaker for you. Or if you struggle with understanding accents.

Also A searing play that left me in mild shock on its conclusion. Truly excellent production. Although the entire cast was on point, Marty Rea stopped the show with his monologized letter.

I definitely want to see more McDonagh, despite the terror and violence that permeate the piece. As much as there is a twist, I wanted to re-experience the play knowing at the beginning what I knew by the end.

Highly recommended.... Read more Read less

See it if you like family dramas. This one is about the dysfunctional relationship between an adult woman and the invalid mother with whom she lives.

Don't see it if you dislike dark shows and/or shows with twisted humor.

See it if You love great writing, acting and want to be swept away with laughter and tears watching a poetic tragedy unfold. Mysterious. Unresolvable.

Don't see it if challenging material and unexplained plot twists or strong Irish accents bother you. If you don't like surprises, stay home.

See it if you want to witness masterful acting in a terrific, sometimes extremely funny, drama.

Don't see it if you want light, simple, or easy. This is a claustrophobic, dark family drama with violence and several twists. But - brilliant.

See it if you want compelling acting in a well crafted play about the desperate cruelty people who are supposed to love each other use

Don't see it if you want to be entertained by happy people in uplifting circumstances This is tough life about people who destroy each other to try to live

See it if You enjoy pitch-black comedy, enjoy McDonagh's work (this is one of his best) or enjoy being unsettled

Don't see it if You're not fond of being made uncomfortable or can't stomach moments of stage violence.

Also While it isn't quite as penetrating as the original production 20 years ago, the play holds up. This time it is funnier but packs slightly less of a punch. It's still strong stuff.... Read more Read less

See it if You think, as I do, that Martin McDonagh can do no wrong. It is a very entertaining play which has had better productions.

Don't see it if You have no tolerance for black humor

See it if you like intense yet funny Irish dramas. great acting and intelligent writing.

Don't see it if you want light and airy. although funny, it's a disturbing piece

See it if You like dark comedy-drama with great acting. You won't be disappointed!

Don't see it if Find it hard to grasp Irish brogue. At the beginning it is a little hard to understand the actors.

See it if You like quirky humor and Irish accent. You like family dramas. The actings (esp. two females) are magnificent!

Don't see it if You enjoy funny plays. You don't want to see death in the play. This one is a little bit too depressing for me.

See it if you missed the highly acclaimed original Broadway production that won the Tony, the Drama Desk, the Outer Critics Circle, etc.

Don't see it if you saw the original Broadway production that won the Tony, the Drama Desk, the Outer Critics Circle, etc. because this one can't compare.