Mother knows best. Twenty years ago, Pato Dooley thought of Maureen Folan as the beauty queen of Leenane. He never quite stopped thinking so. In reality, Maureen is a bitter spinster, stuck caring for a spiteful mother in a house they have made into a prison for each other. When Pato returns to Leenane, Maureen sees a twinkle of hope for a life with more love in it. But one thing remains in her way, pulls her down, and sits in a rocking chair plaguing her heart out. In his first published work, master tragedian Martin McDonagh proves that when cruelty is met with cruelty, all promises of civility are forfeit.