It’s 1963, two years before England abolishes the death penalty. A condemned man continues to profess his innocence on his way to the gallows. A white hood is draped over his head, the hangman’s noose around his neck, and he drops through an open trapdoor. It is the opening scene of Hangmen, Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy, playing at the Gamm Theatre.
In the next couple of hours, we come full circle. To the now-retired hangman Harry Wade’s pub in northern England, with an array of bizarre regulars, and a mysterious and ominous stranger, and yes, in the end, we come full circle.
Hangmen, as good theater is supposed to do, challenges you, makes you think, makes you laugh, and explores complex and difficult issues. It’s about:
- Injustice – the state execution of a man who goes to his death protesting his innocence; the private execution of a man thought to have committed a heinous crime, proven otherwise.
- Revenge – the notion that the man executed in the opening scene, seeks revenge even after his death.
- Man’s instinct for violence, and sometimes-cavalier view of death, and a crowd’s willingness, in this case, the bar patrons, to view the executioner with reverence.
The Gamm has built its reputation on presenting well-acted productions that often are on the cutting edge. Hangmen is no exception.
The acting throughout is outstanding, with perhaps the only criticism that while the actors have mastered their English accents, sometimes the elocution is not perfect. By the second act, however, maybe because we’ve become more accustomed to the accents, there is little lost in the dialogue.
There are so many good performances, that it’s hard to single out any particular actor or actress. But for me, Karen Carpenter as Alice (Harry’s wife), Steve Kidd as Harry, and John Hardin as Peter Mooney, the ominous stranger were all exceptional.
The play is well-directed by Gamm’s Artistic Director Tony Estrella. But perhaps the real star is the creative team that put together an outstanding and practical set that incorporates the aging pub, the condemned man’s cell, and the entrance to living quarters.
Hangmen plays at the Gamm, 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick through November 26. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 401-723-4266 or gammtheatre.org/hangmen.
