Reviewed by Tony Annicone
The second show of Gamm Theatre’s 39th season is the New England Premiere of “Hangmen” by Martin McDonagh. This show is a fictional story set in 1965 when the death penalty had just been abolished in the UK. In a small town in Northern England, everyone wants to know what the second-best hangman in the country, Harry Wade, whose profession has just been made illegal, has to say about it. When the news breaks, Harry’s pub is overrun with a gang of misfits and a cub reporter eager to garner a quote from Harry himself. Harry’s guilt-ridden former assistant, Syd, is also in attendance. However, when a constantly smiling, inscrutable visitor, Mooney, appears, everyone becomes inquisitive about this stranger’s mysterious motives. Even though serious topics are discussed, McDonagh keeps the comedy flowing even in the most dire circumstances. Director Tony Estrella casts these 11 roles wonderfully and elicits both comic and dramatic performances from one and all. He is aided in his task by Jessica Hill Kidd, who designed a prison area on the top of a lovely British bar that looks so realistic you’d go up there and order a pint for yourself. The terrific fight choreography is by Normand Beauregard with lighting design by James Horban, terrific sound design by Hunter Spoede with realistic thunder and rain, and the 1960s costumes by Katie Hand. Stage manager Robin Grady keeps things running smoothly all night long.
The show begins in 1963 when Harold Pinter, on the radio, declares this is a sexual revolution, and the opening scene takes place in a jail cell where the supposed sexual predator prisoner is taken off to be hung. He is dragged away, kicking and screaming of his innocence. This powerful scene scares one and all with its realistic presentation. We flash forward two years later to a barroom where hanging has been outlawed in the United Kingdom. The four customers are enjoying their drinks and discussing criminal punishment. Harry, the bar owner, was one of the chief hangmen and served proudly for 25 years. A stranger named Peter Mooney from London shows up and beguiles the crowd with his mysterious persona.
Steve Kidd commands the stage as Harry, who is very jovial with his customers, but underneath is an insecure man being robbed of his livelihood from government work. Steve’s handling of the inner turmoil tearing him apart is wonderous to behold as Harry deals with grief and guilt about his treatment of his wife and daughter. His interactions with his fellow performers are very well done, especially his arguments with Mooney as well as his comic argument with his former assistant, Syd, about a man’s privates being huge and his naughty vagina photos. The rash meltdown in the second act is stunning. It leaves the audience on the edge of their seats, wondering what is going to happen, and when it does happen, things turn on a dime. Steve’s slow burn when his archenemy, the number one hangman, finally shows up has to be seen to be believed.
Supporting Harry are his fretful wife, Alice, and his teenage daughter, Shirley, played wonderfully by Karen Carpenter and Abigail Milnor Sweetser. Alice belittles her daughter, commenting on her moody behavior, moping around, and Shirley not being beautiful inside or outside. However, when the daughter doesn’t do what she is told, the mother changes her tune, swilling gin and finally admitting her love for the young girl. Abigail is a hoot as this young girl with her entrances. She exits up and down the stairs, which leads to much laughter when she finds out her friend has been put in a mental institution. She becomes moody and sulks, but the conversation with the mysterious Mooney seems to calm her. Shirley shows an interest in Mooney when he shows up, appearing to be sweet and daffy, and captures the dreaminess of being 15, but her authoritative mother snaps her out of her delusions.
The inquisitive, pesky journalist eager for a breakthrough story named Clegg is excellently played by newcomer to Gamm, David Ensor. He keeps prodding and probing Harry for something that will make Clegg famous. (He also plays Hennessey, the prisoner in the electrifying opening scene and he handles both parts with ease, making them completely different from each other.) Harry is very pleased with the article in the paper where he criticizes Pierrepoint, claiming that he executed Nazis during the war, so they shouldn’t be counted in his hangings as well as saying his hair smells like rancid Bryl cream. Clegg is very pleased that this article will put him on the map as a journalist. David is marvelous in his debut performance here, having graduated from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program.
Another strong presence occurs with the entrance of Peter Mooney, played splendidly by John Hardin. He captures the essence of this overconfident man who likes to verbally spare with Harry but also shows an interest in Harry’s young daughter. Mooney’s hard edge appears as his conversation with Harry progresses, and his angry outburst scene with Alice, and the audience wonders what secret this man is hiding. Can it have something to do with the young man that Harry dispatched at the start of the show? And if so, what is the truth of the matter? John delivers the goods all night long with his enormous amount of dialogue but is most impressive in Act 2 with a long monologue with his tongue lashing of Harry, the three barflies, the inspector, and Alice. He returns in triumph with this role, having appeared last season in “Bad Jews” and does an astounding job once more in this role.
Harry’s assistant, Syd, played wonderfully by Gabriel Graetz, seems to know more about Mooney than he lets Harry and the other heavy-drinking barflies in on. His description of the man’s privates, his stuttering when nervous, and the vagina photo incident that got him fired are hilarious. Gabriel’s nervous antics with Mooney in the second act and his interactions in the bar are splendid.
Adding to the merriment are the four barflies, who are fabulously played by John Clarke as Bill, John Cormier as Charles, Bruce Kaye as Arthur, and Steven Liebhauser as Inspector Fry. Bill believes everything he’s told isn’t too bright and realizes he’s an alcoholic; Charles continually shouts what is happening to the hard of hearing Arthur which leads to constant laughter, and Inspector Fry is at the bar more than he is at the police station. When the number one hangman shows up later in the show, things start to crackle with tension between Pierrepoint, played marvelously by Jim O’Brien. His self-assured presence and arrogance at being the best brings a dramatic feel to the slapstick antics around him. The constant moving of chairs with him putting one leg up on them has to be seen to be believed. The dialect coach, Candice Brown, did an excellent job with the accents of this cast. So, for an Olivier award-winning show that also captures the pathos hidden beneath the comic lines, catch “Hangmen” to witness fantastic acting and dynamic direction right here in Rhode Island. For tickets, go to gammtheatre.org or call the box office. This show will keep you on the edge of your seat, guessing what has transpired before your eyes, and enthrall you all night. Be sure to celebrate this dynamic second show of Gamm’s 39th Season.
HANGMEN (2 to 26 November)
GAMM Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI
1(401)723-4266
