By Alan Jozwiak
Whenever the subject of the death penalty arises, attention tends to go to the person being executed. But what about the executioners? What are their stories?
Answering these questions for the basis of Martin MacDonagh’s latest play Hangmen, now at Falcon Theatre.
The Plot of Hangmen
Hangmen focuses on the life and times of the fictional Harry Wade (Worley Stidham–originally the understudy for the show), one of the last hangmen still working when Great Britain outlaws the death penalty in 1965. The play deals with two main subplots. The first deal with the fallout coming from Harry’s decision to break his professional silence about being a hangman by conducting an interview. In the interview, he most notably disparages his rival, a retired hangman named Pierrepoint (Mike Spitz). This sets up a comedic confrontation between Wade and Pierrepoint towards the end of the play where the subject of the smell of Pierrepoint’s hair gets put to the test.
The second subplot centers around Mooney (Matt Flannery), a young man who drives up from London to the northern England town containing Wade’s pub and ends up causing a ruckus. Side note: Executioners in Great Britain tended to own their own pubs. Mooney befriends Wade’s 15-year old daughter Shirley (Em Ivanov) and might have a hand in her eventual disappearance and possible death.
If this plot sounds a bit convoluted, it is because it is. The strength of this script comes in that it is a perfect actor vehicle for many of the roles, as well as providing plenty of laughs from the dark humor which pepper McDonagh’s play. Directors Ted Weil and Samantha Joy Weil (the two recently tied the knot) do a great job with this challenging script. They are able to mine from it lots of laughs and lots of heart.
Directors and Design
The co-directors were also responsible for creating the strong set which transforms the Falcon Theatre stage into a mid-sixties pub. It is one of the stronger sets that I’ve seen for Falcon productions and the pub starts to become another character within the show. I particularly love the starburst door knob and severely weathered front door of the pub. It is a great splash of mid-century style.
The Lead
The Weils also exploit the possibilities of this play and assemble a strong cast to explore the world of the hangmen and executioners. First off is Worley Stidham, the actor who plays Harry Wade. While Stidham is a bit young to play the mid-fifties Wade, but this is quickly forgotten by the powerhouse performance he gives within the play. Wade is a man beset by insecurities and Worley manages to capture Wade’s unease with himself in his performance. I think my favorite scene with Stidham is when Pierrepoint unexpectedly comes to the pub and the two square off. It is a strong scene between the two actors, since both refuse to back down and insist that they are right. More cannot be said for fear of spoilers.
Other Impressive Performances
Also impressive are the two people who act as Wade’s antagonists, the petulant Mooney (Matt Flannery) and Pierrepoint (Mike Spitz). Spitz plays Pierrepoint as a proud retired hangman who is more than willing to tussle with anyone wanting to besmirch his name. The above mentioned scene was particularly strong. As for Flannery’s role as Mooney, he is a young actor worth watching in the future. He handles the arrogance of Mooney nicely and is great with the physical action that happens between himself and Wade just prior to Pierrepoint’s entrance. Again I can’t say more for fear of spoilers.
The rest of the male members of the cast who are Wade’s barflies are a delight. They include Darren Lee (Fry), Ryan Bowron (Bill), Charlie (Gabe Schenkar), and Arthur (Mark Bowman). I learned from talking to one of the actors after the show that the cast actually draws each pint they use while on stage and that the beer they draw is non-alcoholic. Good thing too because these men are constantly drinking pint after pint while they constantly throw out comedic line after comedic line. They each do a great job keeping the dark subject matter of the play lighter.
Finally, the two women–Wade’s wife Alice (Linda Callahan) and daughter Shirley (Em Ivanov)–provide a good touch of the female to this otherwise male cast. Callahan plays Alice as alternatively caring and fiesty, while Ivanov showcases the moody and mopey nature of Shirley. Rounding out the case is Dylan McKenna, who plays the dual roles of Syd and Clegg. McKenna particularly shines as Wade’s former assistant Syd, who is the butt of everyone’s joke.
Overall
While this is not my favorite Martin McDonagh play, I enjoyed the time I spent within this world. While McDonagh’s play does not offer any set ideas about the death penalty, it serves as an exploration of what happens when violence is ingrained into a society. Based on the strong acting, large laughs, and atmospheric set, Falcon’s Hangmen is a dark comedic delight.
Tickets to Hangmen
Hangmen runs from January 24 to February 8, 2024, with performances running Thursday through Saturdays at 8 pm in their theatre at Monmouth Ave. To order tickets, click here.
Allow for extra time to get across the river because of the repair work for the I-471 bridge from Cincinnati to Newport.
