Not enough words: Shane Zaza (One) and Claire Rushbrook (Two) with Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Three). Photo credit: Stephen Cummiskey
Play: hang
Theatre: Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court Theatre
Playwright: debbie tucker green
Director: debbie tucker green
Review by Patsy Antoine
One of the things I’ve always loved about debbie tucker green is her ability to reveal the shattering effects of an implied act of violence on its victims, diving beneath the surface of grief and anger to get at the raw pain and helplessness below. hang is no exception.
Oscar nominated Marianne Jean-Baptiste makes her Royal Court Theatre debut as a nameless character (Three) who, affected by an undeclared crime, is ready to reveal a decision she’s made.
In a ‘nearly now’ setting, the play opens with Jean-Baptiste being shown into a bland, nondescript office by two officials. Referred to as just One (Claire Rushbrook) and Two (Shane Zaza), they begin to fill the silence created by Jean-Baptiste’s quiet unease with the kind of mindless, patronising chatter of officialdom which fails miserably at bringing relief.
hang’s clever dialogue, delivered well by Rushbrook and Zaza, brings an element of dark humour to what begins to unfold. After a while, the pair’s repetitive dialogue, overlapping speech, and stops and starts, begin to grate.
Jean-Baptiste is, however, captivating. The explosive power she brings to the role adds to her moving monologues, a testament to tucker green’s often beautifully lyrical dialogue.
As the play progresses Jean-Baptiste’s character becomes increasingly agitated by the officials, by her situation and by herself, as hand tremors set in. Equally, the audience becomes increasingly disorientated by the questions the play raises in their heads: Why is she there? What’s happened to her? Who are the officials? Are they doctors or the police? What has the absent character done?
As the play draws to a close, many of them remain unanswered. But that’s not the point. tucker green leaves you with just enough imaginative space to fill in the dark gnawing gaps.
This is tucker green doing what she does best. Aside from the over-worked comic dialogue in places, hang maintains the suspense right until the big reveal. It’s a conclusion that hits you hard, and raises its own moral questions about criminal justice and capital punishment. Go see it.
hang is the Royal Court Theatre until 18 July 2015.