Martin McDonagh was born in 1970 in London, England, to a working-class Irish family. He grew up very close with his brother, John, who was also interested in writing. In his adolescence, he often wrote grotesque versions of existing fairy tales, including one based on "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" (which makes an appearance in his play The Pillowman). Combining his love of storytelling with his fascination with film and television, particularly the work of actor Al Pacino, led him to become a playwright and screenwriter.
As a young man, McDonagh worked as a supermarket checker and a part-time clerk before turning his focus to writing. In 1994, he began the drafts of what would become his...
