Some things are such crowd-pleasers, they bear repeating. Even within the packed realm of Christmas-time theater, that holds true for Kinetic Theatre’s finely tuned, atmospheric production of “A Sherlock Carol.” Introduced last year at the Stephen Foster Memorial, the show this season travels from Oakland to Carnegie Stage, and, if anything, gains in connectivity between cast and audience in the intimate space.
Martin McDonagh wrote a doozy of a role when he created “Hangmen’s” Mooney, the walking, talking plot device who enters a pub in Northern England, emanating a persona that may just as well be a neon sign that says “stranger danger.” He talks up a storm, does Mooney, and with every word becomes more of a sinister presence in the life of Harry Wade, one of the last hangmen in the UK, and proud of it. In the United States regional premiere of Hangmen by Kinetic Theatre, Mooney is played by the youthful Charlie Kennedy, a recent Point Park graduate. He embodies the cocky-creepy character – although Mooney notes that he prefers “menacing” to creepy.
If there is such a thing as the “best hangman,” then it stands to reason that there is a second best.
Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy, “Hangmen,” is based loosely on the well-chronicled life of Albert Pierrepoint, the English hangman who executed hundreds of people, including 200 wartime criminals.
Kinetic Theatre, with producing artistic director Andrew Paul at the helm, will stage the play’s Pittsburgh premiere, opening August 7, 2025, at Carnegie Stage.
By SHARON EBERSON To begin with, descending into the depths of the Stephen Foster Memorial, I was immediately transported into the combined worlds of Dickens and Doyle. With immersive staging, moody music and heartfelt performances, the meticulously crafted production of… Read More ›
By Sharon Eberson The highest praise for a comedy that strives to honor the French master Moliere is that it pummels hypocrisy and is as thought-provoking as it is laugh-inducing. Simon Bradbury’s The Illustrious Invalid accomplishes all of the above…. Read More ›
By Sharon Eberson Simon Bradbury and Andrew Paul go way back. So it’s somehow fitting that they both wound up connecting while both were in Las Vegas, even if their artistic collaboration remains on Pittsburgh stages. 20-plus years ago, Bradbury,… Read More ›
