A cat and mouse with the McDonagh stamp

Best bit: The climactic scene in which just desserts are served...

Any boring bits? Not boring per se, the show has so many jokes to land that not all of them stick.

Who would like it? Fans of its writer Martin McDonagh, those who enjoy black comedies.

Who wouldn't like it? Those who don't like swearing or In Bruges.

Morning after effect: Johnny Flynn. He of flaxen hair and commanding stage presence.

Verdict: 3.9 out of 5 stars

Currently riding a wave of critical acclaim that has bolstered it since its debut at the Royal Court Theatre, Hangmen is as black a comedy as they come; its ability to elicit shock and laughter at every turn gives new meaning to the term gallows humour (pun very much intended). Fittingly, the play begins with a hanging, a high-octane opening scene that careens so quickly from grisly to comic and back again that I had trouble keeping up. I found the ensuing on-stage madness a conundrum at first, but on my way out I caught a glimpse of the name Martin McDonagh (the writer behind the dark delights of In Bruges and The Cripple of Inishmaan) and everything I had just watched dawned with crystal clear clarity.

Set at the height of the swinging sixties, Hangmen follows Harry Wade, the second best hangman in the UK (just don't say that to his face) two years after the country's last execution. A rough-hewn brute of a man, Wade bears no scars of his former career on his imposing exterior yet it quickly becomes obvious that he may still be disturbed after all... The pub he runs with his wife is resolutely not swinging, which makes it all the more obvious when strangers make use of this local watering hole. Cue the streetwise Southerner Mooney and his attention-seeking swagger. Prone to bouts of eloquent rambling and suspicion-raising fury, Mooney is a catalyst for turmoil in the Wade's already colorful lives.

I will admit I found it difficult to connect with Hangmen's Northern articulations at first, but by the time Act 2 rolled round I was heavily invested in the lilts, poetry and rhythms of the accent and dialogue (an area in which McDonagh's script shines). A time and place is so effortlessly evoked that at first I thought the play had been written in the very era it portrays. An extremely clever use of space and moving set design causes my jaw to drop momentarily.

Amidst the flurry of five-star reviews, I'm not quite as convinced that the play is as funny as it's cracked up to be. Certain jokes fail to land their punches as things warm up in the first act and though there are many rib-tickling moments, I'd say its true strength lies in its book and ensemble cast. Veteran stage and film actor David Morrissey gets Harry Wade's balance of bluster and vulnerability spot on, while relative newcomer Johnny Flynn, a folk musician by trade, should definitely quit his day job - his Mooney is arresting, psychotic and dare I say it, steals the show.

REVIEWED BY TEIA FREGONA

Tuesday 8th December 2015
Wyndham's Theatre, London

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View our show pages for more information about Hangmen, Wyndhams Theatre.