Hangmen by Martin McDonagh

“The electric bloody chair! I’m told when that goes wrong they come out sizzling like a bloody steak.”

It’s 1965, and capital punishment has just been abolished in the UK.

In a dingy, old-school pub in Oldham, the landlord, Harry, who until recently was known as ‘the second-best hangman in Britain’, holds court.

Surrounded by a motley crew of sycophants and hangers-on, he relishes the celebrity his profession has brought him.

His wife works behind the bar; neither seems to notice that their anxious, awkward teenage daughter is ripe for exploitation.

The arrival of a mysterious stranger from ‘the South’ turns the atmosphere toxic with suspicion, and when Harry’s arch-rival turns up, the clash of egos is both brutal and desperately sad.

This brilliantly plotted and wildly off-beat play is a stinging condemnation of state-sanctioned murder delivered with furious, macabre humour.

Winner: 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Play

“Tremendous: a departure, and a deepening of McDonagh’s talents.” The Guardian