‘Hangmen’ at New Theatre
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“The electric bloody chair! I’m told when that goes wrong they come out sizzling like a bloody steak.”
It’s 1965, and capital punishment has just been abolished in the UK.
In a dingy pub in the north of England, the landlord, Harry, who until recently was known as ‘the second-best hangman in Britain’, holds court.
Surrounded by a motley crew of sycophants and hangers-on, he relishes the celebrity his profession has brought him.
His wife works behind the bar; neither seems to notice that their anxious, awkward teenage daughter is ripe for exploitation.
The arrival of a mysterious stranger from London creates an atmosphere toxic with suspicion, and when Harry’s arch-rival turns up, the clash of egos is both brutal and desperately sad.
This brilliant, funny and wildly off-beat play from Martin McDonagh (acclaimed writer of In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Lieutenant of Inishmore and The Lonesome West) is a stinging condemnation of state-sanctioned murder delivered with furious, macabre humour.
Australian premiere. Winner: 2015 Olivier Award for Best Play
“Tremendous, terrifying, electric.” The Guardian
Hangmen at New Theatre
13 August – 14 September 2024
https://newtheatre.org.au/hangmen/
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