The Pillowman: David McSavage is finding himself on the stage

Martin McDonagh’s viciously funny play is the perfect vehicle for David McSavage’s theatre debut, writes Padraic Killeen

THE play The Pillowman is in rehearsals and its star, David McSavage, is worried that he’s too loud. This concern seems ‘un-McSavage’. This is a comedian, after all, who made his name by standing in Temple Bar every Saturday and poking fun at passers-by, loudly demanding their attention. Nevertheless, as he prepares to make his theatrical debut in the first Irish production of Martin McDonagh’s play, vocal projection is bothering him.

“With TV and film, everything is miked-up and you can talk naturally,” he says. “But how can you talk LIKE THIS without it sounding a bit weird? This ‘projection’ thing — I’m not sure about it all.”