The premiere of He Had Hairy Hands thrilled audiences (me included) in The Studio last year and saw Manchester-based company, Kill The Beast, scoop the 2014 Manchester Theatre Award for ‘Best Studio Production’.
This month the comedy quintet and Lowry Associate Artists bring the show back to Salford for two much anticipated performances in The Lowry’s larger 450-seat Quays Theatre.
Telling the tale of curtain twitching town, Hemlock-Under-Lye in the midst of mysterious and vicious werewolf attacks, this dark and delicious piece is a fun and fearsome frolic. Described as a ‘70’s detective werewolf mystery’ it’s like a mash up of The League of Gentleman and Scooby Doo with a touch of Midsummer Murders thrown in for good measure, yet totally and utterly original with twists and turns along the way.
This balmy, sharp and devilish tale was created from a series of sketches which have been cleverly knitted together to create a slick and fabulously entertaining piece of theatre. The performers are exceptional, playing weird and wonderful characters to perfection with such strong characterisation that they make the grotesque and strange seem likeable and endearing. It’s hard to believe this is only their second production; it’s so polished and professional. The projected animations designed by Alex Purcell are displayed on a large screen behind the performers allowing this quick paced piece to move from scene to scene effortlessly whilst adding to the supernaturally spooky atmosphere. The writing is brilliant; the speed at which the gags come is seriously quick, the audience lapped up every single minute of this totally unique production and as for the original song, outstanding!
If you’re on the lookout for a seriously fabulous way to spend an evening I urge you to beg, borrow or steal to make sure you get a ticket to meet the townsfolk of Hemlock-Under-Lye and enter the world of the perfectly bonkers Kill the Beast.
Fri 15th & Sat 16th May
Quays Theatre 8pm
Tickets £18 (including booking fee)
Concessions £2 off
thelowry.com/event/he-had-hairy-hands1
