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Who's that behind the mask? Snapshot of executioner reveals dark side of humanity

  • Amanda Burden
  • 1 hour ago
  • 2 min read
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Making A Killing by Ken Kernow inspired by the Diary of Frantz Schmidt, at The Albany Theatre, Coventry from 16 – 18 October.

Review by Amanda Burden

 

Tax collector, traffic, warden, estate agent: there are plenty of unpopular jobs, but surely among this raft, executioner has to be right up there. Making a Killing, a tightly-wound two-hander by Ha Hum Ah Productions, currently at The Albany Theatre, looks at the life of hangman Frantz Schmidt, a real-life torturer and diarist at the time of witch trials in1590 Nuremberg. Cynical and sardonic, Schmidt (Stephen Cavanagh) approaches his duty with unfeeling detachment – until the dual arrival of apprentice Klaus and tart with a heart Annie (both Ben Kernow) at the gallows prompts a crisis of guilt and confidence.


Played out against a backdrop of a dangling noose, the play hinges of the themes of darkness and light, guilt and innocence, and silence and voice. Secrets fester in darkness and become monstrous, and squirm under scrutiny when exposed to the light. But this is no fairytale of redemption where good prevails – even when moral choices are made there is no easy solution. Four hundred years later, when fake news bends the truth and political figures control the media, the narrative feels acutely current.


The first half is slow, but the pace picks up in the second act, when the tension caused by social change sparks into explosion. The claustrophobic intensity is well conveyed by both actors - their ability to seamlessly slip into other characters with nothing more than a shift in accent or physical bearing is impressive. The young apprentice becomes a wizened crone before our eyes, the metamorphosis only signified by a Wonder Woman-esque spin. No costume changes or props were required – it was a masterclass in minimalism.


Overall, this was an intriguing play, exposing the machinery of government and authority, showing what can happen if truth itself has a death sentence.


 

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