Patrick Lonergan - as enthusiastic as a true film buff ought to be, yet as defensive as a proud father - seeks to soothe the hostilities, and to show that the sheer force of the reactions to McDonagh's work has provoked only prove his momentous talent... [the book provides] a wealth of information and resources.

Ruth Gilligan, Times Literary Supplement

As Patrick Lonergan's entertaining and enjoyable study of the playwright and film-maker points out, academics have frequently been more hostile [than critics]. Lonergan attempts to re-address this...By shifting the focus of his debate away from perennial debates surrounding the authenticity of Irish representation, Lonergan is able to pose much more interesting questions about the relationship between the author and his work...each section includes a very useful section of production analysis. The book also includes an extremely detailed glossary offering readers explanations of all the terms and major historical events dis cussed in McDonagh's plays...Lonergan's easy conversational tone and knowledgeable discussion of the plays will, though, be of interest to a general readership interested in McDonagh's work, and this book offers a comprehensive account of his varied and occasionally controversial career to date.

Catherine Rees, New Theatre Quarterly