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The Tower Theatre Company recently finished their run of debbie tucker green’s hang. Originally debuted in 2015 where it was produced by the Royal Court Theatre, and debbie tucker green also served as director. The play has a refreshing simple set-up of being a ninety-minute long continuous scene, consisting of only three characters.
The plot is a slow-burner, revealing little snippets of information, bit by bit about the background that led to the scene we’re watching, and gradually the atmosphere gets more intense as the full-story begins to come to light. What’s brilliant, is that you don’t initially feel that tension building in the room; you’re so drawn in by the interaction on stage as you try to decipher what’s brought the trio to this moment on stage.
We are introduced to the characters, none of whom are given actual names, instead they are simply known as One, Two and Three. We are introduced to Three (Valerie Paul – Kerry) as she comes to meet with One (Sara Odeen-Isbister) and Two (Henry Sharpies) to discuss a decision she has to make around a legal matter.
From the beginning we are given the impression that Three is involved in something serious, most likely a crime. One and Two approach Three in an overly friendly and cautious manner, constantly offering her something to drink and reminding her that she can have someone she knows with her while she makes this decision. Three remains very guarded, unresponsive to their cheerful attitudes. As the scene goes on we are given more information, such as the fact that One has been a part of the case for a long time, referencing having last seen Three a couple of years before this event. We know that they have information on their children, which is at least two years out of date; as well as the fact that Three has a husband and sister, neither of whom want to be there with Three during the meeting. Constantly alluding to a significant past event.
I have to say experiencing this play was honestly a rollercoaster of emotions. Because while there is a big payoff in the reveal, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of frustration over the character’s use of language. A lot of the conversation deliberately skated around the topic of what was going on, such as the using various pronouns instead of the criminal’s name. Another thing I found frustrating was that the characters would refer to the attack Three, or Three and her family suffered, as ‘what happened to me/us.’ So, a lot of alluding to past events that I felt went on longer than necessary. I think the desired effect was to keep the audience invested by teasing them with ambiguous details. To be fair, I did remain interested right until the play reached its climactic ending, however it took me out of the moment slightly because it felt a tad unrealistic. I was amused at times, especially in the beginning, and I do understand why they would feel the need to be compassionate. Even so, treating Three with kid gloves, and not adapting their approach when they saw that it was doing her any favours, made them appear at best unprofessional; at worst incompetent. Not what you’d expect from people in their positions. At certain points when they were fussing over her, I’d look over at Three’s face and think - yeah me too! Much like the use of evasive language, I thought their exaggerated nervous attitudes went on for far too long.
Another small thing I had an issue with was, before the play began they gave us a leaflet and a pass as we came into the auditorium. The passes were marked for visitors, staff and security team, plus someone ran a metal detector over you as you came in through the doors. We were all then instructed on where to sit based on what was printed on our passes. Again I had mixed feelings. It was certainly a fun way to enter a theatre, and it did add to the anticipation when the play started by making me wonder what was going to be involved in the production. Except it led to nothing. There was absolutely no reason for us to be wearing passes during the show, nor was there any purpose on behind where we sat. I asked a friend of mine what they thought, and they said it made them feel like they were involved in the play. I could appreciate the sentiment, although personally I didn’t feel that simply because we were given passes. If anything it made me wonder why there would be anyone else in this meeting room observing this decision in how a criminal should be executed.
The main reason I wasn’t too keen on that bit of panto at the start, was because I thought we were already made feel part of the story thanks to the cast’s acting ability.
Despite some aspects being a little hard to believe, I can’t fault the performance of each cast member. All three had the ability to convey what the characters were feeling by simply using their body language. One and Two’s both had nervous energy coming off them in waves from start to finish. Henry Sharpies’ portrayal of Two was particularly fun to watch; while I found him annoying at times, I also couldn’t help his desperate need to do a good job endearing. From when he brings in everyone’s drinks and spills some on the desk; to where he awkwardly removes the spare chair and hits it against the table leg. All these subtle mistakes as he tries to appear confident, served to make him seem young, inexperienced and keen to prove himself. Something anyone who has ever started a new job can find relatable.
There was also a moment, where Three is discussing the true trauma her family has faced over the years, where I couldn’t help looking at Two as he hunched over the desk with a terrified look on his face. All that overconfidence and bravado he spewed at the beginning had gone, as he reacted to the truly horrible nature of his job. It was great for showing his more human side, and adding more depth to why he comes across as so bumbling at the start of the play.
Similarly when Three calls One out on her personal life, her own mistakes and issues in response to One’s probing into her life. One talks about how her work came before her marriage, which finally ended when she cheated on her husband. The way she can’t look at Three or Two as she confesses her mistake and how she’s now paying for it by not having her family together was sad to watch. However what really drove it home, was when Three responded with a sarcastic remark regarding the irony of her still finding time to cheat on her husband despite the heavy workload. The way Sara Odeen-Isbister reacted was perfect. It wasn’t dramatized shock, or anger; she didn’t break her professional stance and snap at Three. Instead, much like Two, she shrinks into herself, looking small under Three’s glare. A great physical representation of how small she’s felt ever since she ruined her marriage. Again, a realistic and relatable display of quilt; one that, in my opinion, greatly redeemed her character by the end of the play.
Of course, I can’t talk about the amazing acting, without discussing Valerie Paul–Kerry and her depiction of Three. What I loved about the character was that you could see the constant internal struggle throughout the play. Such as the way her hands trembled while drinking water, even when that hardened look remains on her face. I could just see how hard she was trying to hold her emotions in; keeping me curious to see how they would boil over and erupt. Interestingly, instead of an explosion, we got a broken character struggling to cope with the aftermath of their ordeal. The hollow laughter when they ask about her children, and the way she stares off into space while talking about how they’ve changed since she was attacked.
 Then comes the moment where she makes her decision, first she is told that the person who hurt her and her family has written a letter. She adamantly refuses to read it and instead wants to hear her options. After Two lists all the options she asks about hanging. Specifically what happens when someone is hung. When she describes how she’s heard that the body continues to twitch, and that the person tends to defecate themselves; there is a distinct sadistic pleasure in her voice. It’s almost pleading the way she wants them to confirm how much this prisoner would suffer if she said that she wants him to hang.
Three has come in with her guard up the whole time, unwilling to be deterred by small talk and overly-friendly gestures. She’s come in knowing her decision, having given it a lot of thought in terms of how best to make him suffer, and refuses to let his fate be anything less than the most painful option. There’s only one moment right at the end where a small crack appears in her armour. When she is left alone with the letter, and begins to read it in silence. Just a brief change to her face, where a wrinkle appears along her forehead, suggesting that she may start to feel momentarily conflicted about her decision; only momentarily however, before her face pulls back into that stoic frown before the stage fades to black. I felt this was a great sequence to sum up her whole character arc, having come in with a mission of revenge, letting herself feel nothing but contempt, until she allows one fleeting second of doubt, but ultimately chooses to not go back on her decision.
One final thing I need to mention is the set, and it brings me back to my point about the fake passes and designated seating being unnecessary. The seats were set out in a circle around a rotating stage. As the meeting between the three started, the stage slowly began to rotate. At the start, I thought it would be a little off putting just seeing the back of some character’s heads. However this gave everyone in the audience the chance to get a full-view of what was happening, and I was so drawn into the action on stage, that I didn’t initially realise the stage was rotating. Therefore, I personally felt like we didn’t need to be ‘made’ to feel part of the play, as I already got the sense of being in this claustrophobic little room with these increasingly tense characters. Sort of like being in a glass container that slowly filled up with water; except more entertaining.
I went in to review hang with very little knowledge about the plot and the play’s background, which after having seen it, I am very grateful. The slow-burning reveal was all the more satisfying as a result. The characters were well developed in a short amount of time, and a lot of the credit for this is down to the amazing acting I’ve come to expect from Tower Theatre performers. The space was utilised well, making it easier to become completely engaged with the story. All in all, a really enjoyable and well performed production.
Photography by Giulia Paratelli
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