The Dukes in Lancaster is gearing up for its first co-production of 2013 about a Northerner who had a grisly claim to fame—Albert Pierrepoint.
The fascinating story of Lancashire pub landlord and England’s most famous hangman will be told in the "Hanging Town" this winter, presented in-the-round from January 31-February 23.
The venue is an appropriate one for this unique perspective on capital punishment as, between the late 18th and mid 19th centuries, the city’s crown court sentenced more people to hang than any other in England except the Old Bailey.
The play is set in 1957 as Pierrepoint resigns after more than 25 years as the country’s executioner.
He tells the chilling truth about a career in which he executed more than 400 men and women including Ruth Ellis, Lord Haw Haw, Derek Bentley, Timothy Evans and 202 war criminals.
When not carrying out his deadly trade, Pierrepoint was serving customers at the pubs he ran near Oldham and at Much Hoole near Preston. He later retired to Southport where he died in 1992, aged 87.
This strange double life is portrayed by Martin Oldfield in this play which The Dukes presents with Manchester-based Café Society.
This play was written by former crime reporter Peter Harrison who observed a court case where one of Pierrepoint’s subsequent victims was sentenced to death.
Peter said: “I was interested in the motivation which sustained Albert for so many years through so many executions. As a publican in Lancashire, he was known for his genial personality. Albert’s other job was never mentioned though. If there came a night when he was not serving in the bar, customers would know where he probably was but they would never inquire. Who, I asked myself as the writer, was this man?”
Pierrepoint—The Hangman’s Tale was premièred at Edinburgh in 2008 and returned there to great acclaim and five-star reviews last summer.
The Dukes celebrates the launch of its new season with a special event on Saturday, January 19.
The season launch is free and open to everyone—just drop in any time between 1 and 4PM. Visitors can meet and chat to members of The Dukes team and have a peek behind the scenes on guided tours.
And at 2PM and 3PM, there will be a dramatic taste of things to come as actor Martin Oldfield presents excerpts from Pierrepoint.
Details: www.dukes-lancaster.org