I'll Be The Devil is a play by Leo Butler

Leo Butler

Leo Butler is a British playwright. He graduated from the Royal Court's young writers' scheme. He is active since 2000, when he was described as one of the "Great British Hopes". His plays have been staged, among others, by the Royal Court Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National...

 that was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company

Royal Shakespeare Company

The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...

 and written in response to The Tempest

The Tempest

The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...

by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...

 for the Complete Works Festival. It was staged for the first time at the Tricycle Theatre

Tricycle Theatre

The Tricycle Theatre is located on Kilburn High Road in Kilburn in the London Borough of Brent, England. During the last 30 years, the Tricycle has been presenting plays reflecting the cultural diversity of its community; in particular Black, Irish, Jewish, Asian and South African works, as well as...

 2008 directed by Ramin Gray

Ramin Gray

Ramin Gray is an English theatre director and one time associated director of the Royal Court Theatre, London. From an Iranian background Gray now does extensive work abroad but is still based in London...

.

Overview

The play is set in occupied Ireland during the 18th century. A soldier of the English army has two illegitimate children by his mistress, a local woman. His upcoming departure for England triggers a dramatic series of events. Young cattle-killer Dermot is a Celtic Caliban. He becomes the instrument of his mother Maryanne revenge against his own father, Lieutenant Coyle.

Butler said of the play, More than anything I want to put the audience in the eye of the storm. There are a lot of plays about war and colonialism that are wry and ironic and theoretical and that’s all very well, but it’s always taking a step backwards from the reality.

Reviews

The play divided the critics, many of whom were repelled by the relentless on-stage violence and found the story-line confusing. However, Michael Billington of The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

admitted that some scenes really worked and Dominic Cavendish The Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...

said that the darkness that others criticised 'transfixed' him and

.
As a vision of a world without hope, it's too terrifying to dismiss.

Julie Carpenter writing for the Daily Express

Daily Express

The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...

also praised the play as a violent, unforgiving and immensely powerful play that is not for the faint-hearted.

• Guardian 28 February 2008
• Daily Express, 29 February 2008
• Telegraph, 5 March 2008
• Indie London, 5 March 2008
• Official London Theatre Guide, 28 February 2008