“The Hanging Man” is an great theatre production by UK based Improbable, showing at the Opera House as part of it’s “Adventures in the dark” series.
While not quite as good as ‘The importance of being Ernest‘, this was still an impressive, funny and serious play. The play tells the story of an successful architect who comes believe the Cathedral he is designing will be a failure even before it is built, and so hangs himself. However death is not happy with this sudden departure from the world, and so refuses to take him. he lives on, hanging from the ceiling of his half finished cathedral.
The personification of death as a sharp, angry woman reminds me of Terry Pratchett’s death. With a persona, death can explain that she refuses to take him because she barely knows her. He took his life without any real understanding of death. Suicide by hanging in a half finished cathedral was is indulgent memorial to himself, and a quick escape route.
Various segments of the play are totally improvised, in keeping with the risk taking mandate of theatre company Improbable. I barely noticed the change from scripted to improvised until my partner pointed it out.
The play is very physical, right down to it’s false floor that contains all manner of theatrics and demons. It’s also funny – although not nearly as witty as the immortal lines of ‘the importance of being Ernest’. Given the subject matter there is a surprising lack of black humour. I’d happily invite a friend to see this one.
My rating: 3.5 Stars
