Director Chris Sonnex follows his 2024 hit production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore with another classic from the award-winning writer of The Pillowman and The Banshees of Inisherin.
Marking our return to the classic stories of Martin McDonagh as acclaimed Director Chris Sonnex follows this 2024 hit revival of The Lieutenant of Inishmore with a brand-new production of A Skull in Connemara from 20 February 2027 .
Chris Sonnex said:
“Coming back to the Everyman after the glorious comic book carnage of The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a complete honour, and I’m made up to be with Liverpool’s audiences again. A Skull in Connemara is a completely different beast; it’s a play about digging up the past because you need to make room for the future, only to discover that the past isn’t remotely finished with you. It still feels as relevant today as it did when first staged, a play about death, grief, revenge, and the ridiculous ways we try to live with all three. And, of course, it’s got that extraordinary McDonagh trick of making you laugh when you really shouldn’t, and, before you’ve quite recovered, break your heart. I can’t wait to get started and for you to see it.”
Creative Director of Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Nathan Powell said:
“After the huge success of The Lieutenant of Inishmore, we’re excited to welcome back Chris Sonnex and another production that underscores our commitment to daring, thought-provoking and relevant work. Blending dark comedy and biting satire, Martin McDonagh’s brilliant play is sure to be a hugely entertaining and surprising night at the theatre.”
Martin McDonagh is an award-winning writer/director. His latest film, Wild Horse Nine, will be released in November 2026. His plays include The Beauty Queen of Leenane; A Skull in Connemara; The Lonesome West; The Lieutenant of Inishmore; The Cripple of Inishmaan; The Pillowman; A Behanding in Spokane; Hangmen and A Very Very Very Dark Matter.
As a writer/Director, Wild Horse Nine; The Banshees of Inisherin; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Seven Psychopaths; In Bruges and Six Shooter (short film).
Chris Sonnex is currently the Artistic Director and Joint CEO of Cardboard Citizens and co-founder of the London Ticket Bank. Throughout his career in theatre, Chris has consistently championed and mentored underrepresented artists and creatives. As Artistic Director of the Bunker Theatre, his unwavering commitment to inclusivity brought bold new voices to the stage. As well as garnering critical acclaim, the theatre received significant recognition from the industry, including the Best Fringe Theatre Award from The Stage and the Best Artistic Director Award from The Offies, both in 2020. Alongside awards for directing.
Chris has previously worked as an Associate artist at the Royal Court and Hightide Theatre. Chris helped set up Good Chance Theatre in “The Jungle” refugee camp at the height of Europe’s refugee crisis in 2015. As a Director, his work has been presented by the Almeida Theatre, the Bunker Theatre, Caravan Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Guildhall, HighTide Festival, Paines Plough Roundabout, LAMDA, Northern Stage, Soho Theatre, Hightide, the Royal Court, and Synergy Theatre Project.
A Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production
20 February – 13 March 2027
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Thursday matinees at 1.30pm
Saturday matinees at 2pm
The past is never dead and gone
Back in 2024, Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore hurled a bucket of blood-spattered comedy across the Everyman’s stage. Now its director, Chris Sonnex, returns with A Skull in Connemara – McDonagh’s fearsomely funny dig through the dirt of rural County Galway.
Mick and Mairtin have been hired as gravediggers – not to bury, but to exhume the bones of those who died years before. Every year, this macabre task makes space for more bodies – but in this tiny village, rumours and secrets are never far below ground. It may seem like the past has been buried, but you never know what might get dug up with the dead.
Volatile, unsettling and wickedly comic, A Skull in Connemara is a dark and daring creation – an outrageous gem from the award-winning writer of The Pillowman and The Banshees of Inisherin.
Tickets for A Skull in Connemara are Priced from £11 – £41 at everymanplayhouse.com/event/a-skull-in-connemara or call boxoffice: 0151 709 4776.
Captioned Performance – Thursday 25 February
Audio-described performance – Saturday 13 March
BSL performance – date tbc
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