Valmieras Teātris is bringing its dark comedy production of Martin McDonagh’s “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” to the Jūras Vārti Theatre House in Ventspils on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:00 p.m., Ventspils reported.
Valmiera Theatre Returns to Ventspils with Black Comedy
The touring production features a cast that includes Aigars Apinis, Rūdis Bīviņš, Artis Jančevskis, Januss Johansons, Mārtiņš Liepa, Aksels Aizkalns, and Klinta Reinholde. Directed by Mārtiņš Eihe, the staging first entered the Valmiera Theatre repertoire in 2020, with an updated version premiering in August 2025.
The play centers on Padraic, an Irish National Liberation Army lieutenant whose primary vulnerability is his fierce devotion to his cat, Thomas. Director Mārtiņš Eihe notes that the character of the cat serves as a catalyst in a story where a terrorist’s violent methods clash with domestic affection.
“If you assume that the lieutenant is essentially a terrorist and a bomber, then the cat is a catalyst,” Eihe said of the production. “Villains tend to say that killing a human is nothing, but their hand doesn’t rise against an animal. In fact, that turns out to be a lie, statements sewn with white thread.”
The Playwright and International History
Irish-born English playwright Martin McDonagh wrote “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” in 2001. The script has since been staged internationally, including on Broadway in New York and in London’s West End.
The play has earned various literary awards, and the British newspaper “The Daily Telegraph” named it one of the 15 best plays of all time. McDonagh, known for dark and provocative themes, described his approach to the material by explaining that he chooses the border between comedy and cruelty because one illuminates the other, noting that drama has operated this way since ancient Greece.
Tickets and Practical Details
Tickets for the Ventspils performance are available at all Biļešu Paradīze box offices and online at bilesuparadize.lv. The touring performance at the Jūras Vārti Theatre House is organized by SIA Kurzemes Filharmonija, with financial support from the Ventspils City Municipality and the State Culture Capital Foundation. Organizers note that photography and filming will take place during the event for publicity purposes on the Jūras Vārti website and social media channels.
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