Hangmen

He's been away for ten years. Now he's back. It's the brilliant Martin McDonagh and he's written a brand new black comedy play. It astonished and delighted audiences, critics and theatre luminaries alike when it premièred at the Royal Court theatre, and it's set to do the same at Wyndhams theatre in the West End. If you only see one play this season, make it Hangmen and hang onto your hats for a beautifully written and observed, painfully funny treat of a comedy ride.

Set in the days after England abolished capital punishment in 1964, the play stars the country's second-best hangman, Harry. He's infamous in his little local pub in Oldham and enjoys his notoriety. But how will Harry cope when hanging is abolished, and how does he feel about it? People want to know, and Harry is suddenly surrounded by a mob of press reporters and fellow pub regulars, all bathing in his reflected glory. In a corner, out of the way of the scrum, a stranger lurks, and his motive for visiting Harry is very different... If your funny bone could do with a tickle, buy tickets now. This play is totally, utterly and unexpectedly hilarious.