Martin McDonagh’s grim tale of two squabbling brothers cooped up in a rickety old Irish farmhouse following the untimely death of their father is somewhat of a departure from the usual brash comedy fare served up at the Royal Court and the old theatre is all the better for it.

The aforementioned siblings from McDonagh’s 1997 work are here brought to life by Keiran Cunningham as the vindictive and at times terrifying Coleman, alongside Royal Court veteran Paul Duckworth as the Poitín-loving, holy statue-collecting, Valene.

Alan Devally plays the long suffering Father Welsh, who has been driven to drink as he tries in vain to keep the peace between the brothers whilst presiding over a congregation more interested in killing each other than saying the rosary.

After a slow start, it’s Father Welsh’s growing anguish over his inability to get the brothers to see sense, alongside his tender relationship with the alcohol-selling troubled teen Girleen, beautifully portrayed by Ann O’Riordan, which helps elevate the drama above the norm.

Things ramp up a few notches for the better after the interval with despicably funny jokes mixed in with a particularly heartbreaking scene played out on a gloomy riverside between Father Welsh and the vulnerable Girleen.

Meanwhile, the brothers continue to get at each other’s throats with increasing literality before attempting to make peace during a vol-au-vent and Poitín soaked series of increasingly hilarious and demented confessions.

Although at times downright depressing, fans of McDonagh’s 2008 surprise hit ‘In Bruges’ will revel in this twisted yet touching yarn packed with strong performances and a heart of gold beneath a thick layer of Galway peat.

The Lonesome West is at Liverpool’s Royal Court until 20 May

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