New Theatre has a thing for British-Irish playwright and filmmaker Martin McDonagh. This is the fourth time it has produced one of his plays. It’s also the first time Hangmen has been staged in Australia.
Directed by Deborah Mulhall, Hangmen revolves around a dingy pub in the grimy north of England in 1965, the year capital punishment ceased in Britain. The publican, former hangman Harry Wade (played by Nathan Farrow) spends his days playing mine host and big-noting himself.
Wade considers himself a special breed of man. As one of the country’s last hangmen, he’s dispatched hundreds of criminals to the next world.
But what if some of them are innocent? That’s the question posed at the start of the play, when Wade and his assistant Syd Armfield (Jack Elliot Mitchell) send accused murderer James Hennessy (Owen Hirschfeld) to the gallows in a short, brutal scene.
The darkly humorous dialogue as Hennessy protests his innocence and tries to avoid his fate (‘If you’d have just tried to relax, you could’ve been dead by now,’ Wade tells him) sets the tone for the production. Hangmen, a morality tale highlighting the barbarism of capital punishment, is also a comedy that’s blacker than the ace of spades.
It’s quite a menacing affair. Much of that menace is down to the character of Peter Mooney (Robert Snars), a supercilious Londoner who turns up at the pub for reasons that are unclear but seem nefarious.
Snars perfectly inhabits the debonair, mysterious character. In fact, all 13 actors in this production are excellent.
Costume designer Helen Kohlhagen skilfully enhances their roles with outfits that conjure up a “grim up north” meets Swinging 60s vibe.
The pub is a credit to set designer Tom Bannerman and team; it’s so detailed, you can almost smell the stale beer.
Several nooses hang from the pub’s ceiling. At first, they seem over-the-top, but as we become familiar with Wade’s hubris, it’s clear that this homage to his “service to the queen” befits the character.
Where this production may fall down for some is the script itself. While McDonagh is highly acclaimed for his brand of absurdist dark humour, he leaves significant threads unstitched in Hangmen, which can lead to frustration.
When Shirley Wade (Kim Clifton) – the daughter of the publican and his wife Alice (Sonya Kerr) – goes missing, the rising sense of mystery and dread turns to confusion. It’s difficult to broach this aspect of the play without revealing major spoilers, but the disappearance is related to Mooney; the motives for his behaviour are unclear, especially when he admits to actions he did not commit.
McDonagh manifestly believes the audience doesn’t need to know. But for those who prefer their plays – and the motivations of their characters – to be coherent, this aspect of the story may bewilder.
In any case, the story arc around Shirley Wade sets the scene for a shocking conclusion. The scene in question showcases some very clever (and disturbing) work by back-of-house involving a noose and a chair, as well as Snars’ acting prowess.
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The conclusion provides a compelling argument against state-sanctioned murder, sending audience members out into the night with much to think about.
Hangmen by Martin McDonagh
New Theatre, Newtown NSW
Director: Deborah Mulhall
Set Designer: Tom Bannerman
Lighting Designer: Timothy M Carter
Costume Designer: Helen Kohlhagen
Sound Designers: Mehran Mortezaei, Deborah Mulhall
Assistant Director: Timothy M Carter
Dialect Coach: Mark G Nagle
Original Music: Jim McCrudden
Stage Manager: Owen Hirschfeld
Assistant Stage Manager: Madison Gooley
Operator: Ricci Costa
Cast: Alastair Brown, Kim Clifton, Nathan Farrow, Madison Gooley, Owen Hirschfeld, Sonya Kerr, Tom Massey, Jim McCrudden, Jack Elliot Mitchell, Gerry Mullaly, Georgia Nicholas, Robert Snars, Reuben Solomon
Tickets: $20-$37
Hangmen will be performed until 14 September 2024.
