Hangmen

A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Hangmen

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  2w, 12m, 2any gender (adult)

Martin McDonagh

In his small pub in Oldham, Harry is something of a local celebrity. But what's the second-best hangman in England to do on the day they've abolished hanging? Amongst the cub reporters and sycophantic pub regulars, dying to hear Harry's reaction to the news, a peculiar stranger lurks, with a very different motive for his visit.

Image: 2018 Atlantic Theater Company Production (Ahron R. Foster)

Hangmen

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 12m, 2any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: Five 2022 Tony Awards, including Best Play
    Winner! Two 2016 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play
    Winner! 2015 Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play

Details

Summary

I'm just as good as bloody Pierrepoint.

In his small pub in Oldham, Harry is something of a local celebrity. But what's the second-best hangman in England to do on the day they've abolished hanging? Amongst the cub reporters and sycophantic pub regulars, dying to hear Harry's reaction to the news, a peculiar stranger lurks, with a very different motive for his visit.

Don't worry. I may have my quirks but I'm not an animal. Or am I? One for the courts to discuss.

History
Martin McDonagh's Hangmen premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in September 2015.
Keywords
  • Time Period 1960s
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Special Effects
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language

Media

“Corrosively funny.” – Variety

“Gripping, funny and dramatically tense, Hangmen is a thoroughly great play… riveting from start to finish. Almost every line is laugh-out-loud funny, every moment filled with dramatic tension.” – The Sunday Times

“A flawless treat.” – The Independent

“Pitch-perfect… this look back in sharp-eyed wonder at the grimmer side of the swinging Sixties doesn’t loosen its grip from start to finish. It’s perhaps the most line-by-line funny play London has seen in years.” – The Daily Telegraph

“Hangmen is not an argument but an atmosphere. It absorbs the audience into another culture. It re-presents the 60s.” – The Guardian

“A juicy tale of capital punishment and other forms of retribution.” – The New York Times

Photos

  • Hangmen

    Image: 2018 Atlantic Theater Company Production (Ahron R. Foster)

  • Hangmen

    Image: 2018 Atlantic Theater Company Production (Ahron R. Foster)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

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Authors

Author

Martin McDonagh

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