What’s it all about?
Well, this is tricky one. For most of hang, the audience doesn’t know exactly what’s going on. But that’s the point.
Three characters enter a room. One of them – a black woman – is the victim of a heinous, but also unspecified, crime. That woman has a BIG – sorry debbie tucker green, never have capital letters been more necessary – decision to make.
Set in a time – ‘Nearly now’ according to the play text – where capital punishment exists as a way for victims to get a revenge, of sorts, for the crime committed against them, hang puts the spotlight on this woman, the suffering of her and her family, and the gravity of her monumental choice.
Who’s in it?
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, known to most as the feisty defence lawyer in series two of a little TV show called Broadchurch, plays the woman at the heart of this spine-chilling dilemma. The actress may be renowned for her ruthless and resolute behaviour in the David Tennant-led crime drama, but here we see Jean-Baptiste as a vulnerable figure. Angry. Traumatised. Broken.
She gets excellent support from Claire Rushbrook and Shane Zaza as the officials in charge of her case. Bumbling and awkward, the duo emits an abundance of nervous chatter as they struggle to cope with the awkward silences, tiptoeing around the subject and putting their foot in it BIG TIME.
What should I look out for?
Laughter. Despite there being nothing really to laugh about.
In a nutshell?
Another incredible drama from Olivier Award winner debbie tucker green and a startling performance from Marianne Jean-Baptiste makes for 70 minutes of compelling viewing at the Royal Court.
What’s being said on Twitter?
So debbie tucker green’s ‘hang’ @ the @royalcourt is superb. Baptiste shon. It feels amazing to have her back on these grounds.
— Vanessa Babirye (@Scarlet_Voice) June 17, 2015
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#hang at @royalcourt is off the fricking chain. Expert precision & brilliance from all the actors. @shanezaza reppin’ @NYTofGB – STANDARD!
— Susan Wokoma (@susiewokoma) June 16, 2015
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Will I like it?
If you’re a fan of brilliant performances, intricate scripts, compelling drama or all of the above this is a definite must-see. But that’s not to say it’s the most comfortable 70 minutes you’ll spend at the theatre this year. It’s tense, chilling and at times so brutal you’ll feel sick to your stomach, but one thing is for sure, you’ll be on the edge of your seat throughout.
Hang is playing at the Royal Court until 18 July. You can book tickets through the venue’s website.