The Beauty Queen of Leenane, the winner of five Naledi Theatre Awards.is the theatrical masterpiece by acclaimed Irish playwright Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin, In Bruge, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Hangmen). Recipient of four Tony Award nominations, the play is a darkly comic tale about the turbulent, dysfunctional, and often savage relationship between mother and daughter, Mag and Maureen Folan.
Presented by How Now Brown Cow, the production played to overwhelming critical acclaim at Johannesburg’s Theatre on the Square in 2022 and is now set for a limited transfer season to Cape Town’s Pam Golding Theatre at The Baxter from 2 to 19 August 2023.
Multi-award winner Charmaine Weir-Smith (The Train Driver) directs a stellar cast starring Jennifer Steyn (Recipes for Love and Murder, The Inconvenience Of Wings) as Mag, Julie-Anne McDowell (The Revlon Girl, Couplet) as Maureen, Bryan Hiles (Sweeney Todd, Cabaret) as Pato and Sven Ruygrok (Spud, Abraham Lincoln) as Ray.
The production is designed by multiple award-winning designers Greg King (set) and Denis Hutchinson (lighting).
The production won an incredible five Naledi Theatre Awards: Best Supporting Actress in a Play for Jennifer Steyn; Best Supporting Actor in a Play for Sven Ruygrok; Best Director of a Play for Charmaine Weir-Smith; Best Theatre Set Design for Greg King and the highly coveted Best Production of a Play. It also received nominations for Best Lead Actress in a Play for Julie-Anne McDowell and for Best Lighting Design by Denis Hutchinson.
The play centres around the life of Maureen, an unmarried middle-aged woman, as she cares for her ailing mother Mag and tries to find love. When the two brothers enter, we are set on a path to the play’s thrilling conclusion. Interspersed with romance and humour, this psychological thriller will have audiences on the edge of their seats.
The critical acclaim from the Johannesburg season included the following comments:
“… An absolute, superb theatre experience” — Catherine Grenfell
“… It’s rare that a play stays with you days after watching it”. — Arja Salafranca
“… This piece was the best we have seen in the years of reviewing”. — GaloreSA
“… a rare privilege to get to enjoy theatre of this calibre” — Adrian Poulsen
“… this is gripping theatre, capturing you from the moment it begins and never letting go”. — Arja Salafranca
“ … exciting theatre against all odds” — Chris Thurman
“… this play will rest deep with you”.
“We are proud to announce that, for our Cape Town premiere, we are partnering with the dynamic team at non-profit organisation Vintage With Love,” says Daniel Galloway, Consulting General Manager and Producer for How Now Brown Cow.
“Vintage With Love supports numerous literacy and Early Childhood Development charities throughout South Africa through the sale of good quality, pre-loved clothing. All proceeds from the sale of these wonderful gently-worn items, are donated to their network of charities, making a tangible difference in the lives of those beneficiaries. As the Vintage With Love team says, it’s Good For The Planet, Good For Your Wallet and Great for Charities in Need, so it’s a win-win all around!”
Patrons can bring their pre-loved clothing to place in the donation bins in the foyer ahead of the performance of The Beauty Queen of Leenane. For more information about how to donate or get involved, visit
WHAT: The Beauty Queen of Leenane
WHERE: The Pam Golding Theatre, Baxter Theatre Centre, Main Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7600
WHEN: 2 – 19 August 2023 | 19h30 from Mon to Sat, with an additional 14h00 matinee on each Saturday of the season
TICKETS: Mondays: R200 Tuesday & Wednesday: R220 Thursday to Saturday: R240 |School Learners (*specific performances): R150 | Groups, students, and pensioners: R180 | suggested age-appropriate restriction of no under 12s. BOOKING: Via the theatre’s website or calling the box office on 021 685 7880. Bookings can also be made on Webtickets or at Pick n Pay Stores.| For discounted block or schools’ bookings E jeffbr99@gmail.com , and for charities or fundraisers contact Carmen Kearns on E carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za and Zinobulali Goduka on zinobulali.goduka@uct.ac.za
INFO: T 084 682 1337 | Baxter Theatre | How Now Brown Cow
PHOTO: Sven Ruygrok and Julie-Anne McDowell in The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Photo credit Brett Rubin
