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A review by joshgauthier
Hangmen by Martin McDonagh
5.0
On my second reading of this play, I definitely found even more to appreciate than I did the first time. McDonagh's comfort with ambiguity is remarkable, not to an extent that it leaves the actual events of the story uncertain, but in such a way that the truth and the "meaning" of the play are as much the responsibility of audience to understand as they are the responsibility of the author. While McDonagh's stories are big and bold, shocking and dramatic, the subtlety of McDonagh's attention to even small details is full of skill and helps elevate his work to a greater level. Compared to his earlier work, "Hangmen" clearly is a product of McDonagh's growth as an artist, but in spite of whatever changes he may have undergone, his skill has not decreased.
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*Original review*
The usual summary of McDonagh's newest play feels slightly untrue for the complexity of the story being told. In his return to the form that he began with, McDonagh meets all expectations with a complex tale full of humor and horror. With possibly some of the darkest and best crafted black comedy being produced today, "The Hangmen" follows the clash of celebrity, regret, family strife, and old rivalries in the wake of historic changes in England. Alternating between amusing banter and shocking revelations, McDonagh continues to ply his craft with force and precision, leaving the reader/viewer to mull over the weight of the events and themes he has woven together in his newest work.
____________________________________________________________
*Original review*
The usual summary of McDonagh's newest play feels slightly untrue for the complexity of the story being told. In his return to the form that he began with, McDonagh meets all expectations with a complex tale full of humor and horror. With possibly some of the darkest and best crafted black comedy being produced today, "The Hangmen" follows the clash of celebrity, regret, family strife, and old rivalries in the wake of historic changes in England. Alternating between amusing banter and shocking revelations, McDonagh continues to ply his craft with force and precision, leaving the reader/viewer to mull over the weight of the events and themes he has woven together in his newest work.