Hangmen is 'the best Barn production I have ever reviewed'

Hangmen can be seen at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City. (Image: Simon Wallace, MeltingPot Pictures)

Martin McDonagh is nowadays best known as for his award-winning films (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) but it’s good to be reminded of his amazing talent as a playwright.

Hangmen is probably his best and most popular theatrical work.

Set in 1965 when hanging was stopped in Britain, it’s about pub landlord and former hangman Harry Wade, whose ill-advised remarks to the press, coupled with a visit from a rather sinister man who appears to know something about Harry’s past, lead to disastrous consequences.

I greatly enjoyed this blackly humorous play when it was performed in London, and was relieved to find myself both as amused and as scared by the skilful production it has received at the Barn.

Hangmen can be seen at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City. (Image: Simon Wallace, MeltingPot Pictures)

The standard of acting throughout was very high.

Roly Taylor held everything together with a highly skilled and totally believable performance as Wade, an unlikeable character buoyed up by the sycophantic applause of his pub regulars – too many to be individually mentioned here, but all equally convincing.

Michael Curry was brilliant as the mysterious and manipulative visitor Mooney, whose weird changes of mood I found spine-chilling.

Wade’s wife Alice, played by Emily Fairman, is one of only two wholly sympathetic characters in the piece.

Pub-based play Hangmen can be seen at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City. (Image: Simon Wallace, MeltingPot Pictures)

Her final revolt against Wade, and newly found sympathy for her 15-year-old daughter Shirley, were beautifully and subtly portrayed.

Shirley was played by Barn newcomer Alice Croot, a young actor of considerable talent: the girl’s shyness, sensitivity and innocence all shown without the slightest hint of over-acting.

I am certain we shall see more of her.

Hangmen can be seen at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City. (Image: Simon Wallace, MeltingPot Pictures)

At the performance I saw the actor who was to have played famous hangman Albert Pierrepoint was ill, so director John Cook took over the cameo role at short notice.

A truly superb performance, without any sign of the brief time he had to learn the lines.

When a theatre critic applauds the set it usually means she can find little else to praise in the production.

Hangmen can be seen at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City. (Image: Simon Wallace, MeltingPot Pictures)

But not in this case: this was quite the best set I have seen at the Barn, a wonderful design by director John Cook, superbly dressed by Kris and Pete Moore, that not only managed to show three different locations without any noticeable delays for changes, but also made the stage look bigger than it really is.

Congratulations to all concerned, but most particularly to John Cook for pulling everything together with such skill.

This was the best Barn production I have ever reviewed.

Hangmen can be seen at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City. (Image: Simon Wallace, MeltingPot Pictures)

Hangmen is on at the Barn Theatre until Saturday, with performances at 8pm and a matinee on April 2 at 2.30pm.

Tickets are £13 each. Visit www.barntheatre.co.uk to book tickets or call the box office on 01707 324300.

Hangmen can be seen at the Barn Theatre in Welwyn Garden City. (Image: Simon Wallace, MeltingPot Pictures)