“The first duty of a storyteller is to tell a story, and I have always endeavoured to do that... to the best of my ability. Whether the story is true or not is a secondary consideration.” — Katurian
One of the unique features of the Pillowman PDF is the inclusion of the full text of Katurian's stories. In production, these are often performed as stylized interludes. the pillowman pdf
The line between fiction and reality blurs constantly. Michal turns fiction into reality through murder. Katurian alters reality (killing his parents) to save his brother, creating the "story" that defines his life. “The first duty of a storyteller is to
As the interrogation unfolds, Katurian’s mentally impaired brother, , is also revealed to be in custody. The tension escalates as the lines between Katurian’s fictional tales—such as "The Little Apple Men" and "The Tale of the Town on the River"—and reality begin to blur. Key Characters and Dynamics In production, these are often performed as stylized
Katurian, a writer of short stories that are often gruesome and involve child torture, is arrested by two detectives, Tupolski and Ariel. He is told his stories are being used as inspiration for a series of real-life child murders in the town.
A writer obsessed with his work, whose primary motivation eventually shifts from self-preservation to ensuring his stories survive his execution.
Look for scans of the 2003 Faber edition (ISBN 0571216246) – they tend to have correct page breaks and stage directions. Avoid text-only transcriptions.