I’m hung up on the Gamm’s most recent production!
Attending Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen at the Gamm Theatre on November 14th was a wonderful experience! I thought the story and writing was fantastic and the team at the Gamm did an amazing job with this production. The two elements of this live performance which really enhanced my experience were the set and the casting choices. Both did an extraordinary job of telling the story and enveloping me into it as an audience member, taking this production to the next level.
Firstly, I think the set design was very creative and effective when telling McDonagh’s story. This play could be difficult to put on because it features many locations, some of which being the jail cell, the pub, the “other room” where the interview takes place, and the remote location where Mooney and Syd meet. I understand that this is difficult because some locations are indoors and some are outdoors, posing a problem with skillfully placing actors into a scene without creating too difficult of a set change. However, I think that the Gamm Theatre made a creative and effective decision by employing platforms. The pub, or the main location in the play, is set on the stage floor with a beautiful and realistic wooden backdrop, sets of tables and chairs, and a bar. There are also stairs on stage left which, in that location, lead up to the upper floor of Harry and Alice’s house. However, this upper floor is transformed into an outdoor area with a bench, a jail cell with a cot, and an interview room with projections. Firstly, this idea is creative because it uses the space in a unique way. It also helped me as an audience member because I was able to clearly tell the difference between different locations in the story while, of course, they are all taking place on the same stage. This idea was also very visually nice because our attention was not on one spot for too long. The audience had many areas to look at, providing versatility which is not available in many other productions. The only criticism I would have of this set design is the height of the platforms. I personally had a fantastic viewing experience in the elevated back row, however, I can imagine that audience members sitting in the front row experienced discomfort while looking directly up for so long. The front row seats must have been very nice because they were within a few feet of the actors, but imagine paying for a front row seat and being the only people to leave the theatre with a sore neck! That’s my only criticism, as I personally thought the Gamm’s set for Hangmen was incredibly creative and utilized the space in a productive and exciting way. The set was both designed and built beautifully too and looked both realistic and artistic. Kudos to Jessica Hill Kidd, the set designer and director of production!
The other element that I would like to discuss is the casting. In general, I thought the show was perfectly cast and that the actors all fit perfectly into their roles. While all the actors did a phenomenal job, I thought one particular casting choice stood out. Specifically, I thought it was very insightful to cast Ensor as both James Hennessey and Clegg, the man who is hanged (not “hung” according to Syd!) and the journalist. This made it much more impactful when, as Clegg is interviewing Harry, Ensor brings up Hennessey and the possibility that Harry has executed an innocent man. In this sense, it is almost as if the ghost of Hennessey is coming back to haunt Harry just as Hennessey says he will before he is executed. While Harry tries to remain calm at this, there is a specific shift in tone which allows audience members to understand that he is, in fact, perturbed by the possibility of Hennessey’s innocence. This displays the team at the Gamm’s attention to detail, as this element which may be considered small added a lot to the production as a whole. At the end of the play, Syd questions whether or not Hennessey actually committed the crime he was executed for. The casting of Ensor as both characters and the tension it created helped me make up my mind on that matter and also made me think in general.
The last thing I'll say is about the writing and acting. Firstly, I think McDonagh's story is perfect for the stage and was written so well. I loved the element of suspense and was quite literally on the edge of my seat for most of the play. I also think that it was really unique seeing violence on stage in this way. Although we often see some violence in theatre, it is usually fairly tame and I have never seen a play or musical contain hanging, let alone have two on stage. I think that this was handled very well, as it can be disturbing and/or upsetting to audience members. Also, the actors all did a phenomenal job. They brought the story to life and truly made my experience as an audience member great. I won't dig into every individual performance because they were all so wonderful, but I will say that I am very impressed and that I hope to see the performers in other productions!
To conclude, I think the Gamm Theatre and everyone involved there did a fantastic job at putting on Hangmen! This was my first time visiting the Gamm, and I will absolutely be returning! While I focused on mostly the set design and the casting in this review, I think that every element of the play was expertly devised and executed (pun intended!).
