Hanging... Dramatically of course.

[the-techi]

I know there have been other topics about this but none have really asked the question I have;

 

I'm currently directing a performance which includes someone being hanged at the end of it. It is an upper Sixth Form performance so its not like we have to censor it too much but it is still in a school.

 

Basically we want to shock the audience by hanging this man but we're not sure how we can do it in dramatic terms on stage.

 

An idea we had was attaching a rope with a clip onto our flying system whilst putting a saftey harness on an actor so he is being pulled up from his back, nothing touching his neck so we suggest he has been hanged rather than actually doing it. Although, this idea has still been frowned upon.

 

Any ideas anyone?

 

Thank you

[J Pearce]

Making the false noose not a complete loop, with the gap closed by a single thread of thin cotton is a great safety improvement on the method above.

Just because a noose won't tighten doesn't mean it can't kill.

[the kid]

Have a search there are some topics around about it. As a standard I would say no, simply because if it goes wrong it goes horribly wrong, and any form of wrong in a school is BIG NEWS.

[the-techi]

Have a search there are some topics around about it. As a standard I would say no, simply because if it goes wrong it goes horribly wrong, and any form of wrong in a school is BIG NEWS.

 

Obviously I know this, which is why I wrote the idea where there is no form of object touching the neck but there is still a question of how to complete the show.

[trussmonkey]

Avoid all attempts to hung someone using stopper knots, full body harnesses etc unless you employ a specialist with many many years of experience in this effect.

 

Can you not "dramatically" create the effect behind a screen using a dummy or project something.

 

Prob not the advice you are looking for but there is no easy method of achieving this effect and if it goes wrong ... well I need not remind you of the end result.

 

Best

 

TM

[ramdram]

One of our house companies did Tess of the D' at our venue. Tess gets topped at the end (not before time some would have said, the character is a walking disaster area, ** laughs out loud **). It was far more dramatic to simply have the noose, lit with single spot, hanging against a black; cue noise of trap clanging open for instant BO.

 

This avoids any expensive kit, cost of training, and running out of sixth formers, plus some of the audience will appreciate the "effect" as opposed to having the action drawn out.

 

Subtle is better that crude shock, which is all it will be if you make a hash of it.

[GridGirl]

One answer, and one answer only: Get a professional in to do it. There are too many risks involved - hooking someone onto your flying system being the least of them - I wouldn't do that without expert advice, let along actually "hanging" a person.

[mutley]

We used the same method for hanging the bad guy (Fagin ?) at the end of Annie. As he climbed up the bridge, a gunshot rang out, and he swung down on a rope as if his scarf had got snagged (he was only visible from the shoulders down).

 

However, being an amateur production, some corners were "trimmed" and we had no professionals involved. During rehearsals, the scarf really DID snag on the carabina on the harness and nobody could tell his writhing was for real until about a minute had gone by and his face was near purple. He was immediately lowered to the stage and after half an hour or so to regain his composure, was given the option to remove the hanging scene from the show entirely.

 

He decided that as long as some extra safety measures were put in place, he was happy to continue.

 

The extra safety measures were to make sure the scarf did not come into contact with the carabina, to have somebody watching him constantly, and for two safety signals to be given all the time whilst he was hanging:

1) A hand signal of his thumb touching his little finger was "I'm OK". Since this is not a natural position, if he lost consciousness, the signal would stop - as would the show!

2) His feet would be horizontal or slightly upwards. Again, not being a relaxed position, if he was in difficulty or lost consciousness, his feet would droop and the show would immediately stop.

 

After these measures were introduced, he loved doing the show, and the reaction his hanging got from the audience. People are generally just too shocked by the hanging to notice his feet aren't drooping and he's giving an 'OK' sign with his little finger.....

 

The main difference to the OP though, is this guy was a middle-aged adult....

 

The things to bear in mind in today's litigation culture are, "Can I prove that all reasonable steps have been taken?" and "How can I prove the effect was executed safely (pun intended), if don't have the qualifications and experience to prove it?

It's a brilliantly shocking effect and it would be great if you could achieve it, but wherever minors are involved, minimise the risk (and your liability!) by getting the professionals in.

[livelifetotheverymax]

This was done at Uni a few years ago. They had the guy stood with just his heels on a ledge poking out from some set, then when the "hanging" came he dropped down and landed on a bench just below which gave a dropping though a trap effect. The noose itself had been tied with a bit of thread holding it together so that any load on it caused it to break away. Apparently with how it was lit it produced quite a good effect.

[kerry davies]

Only did it once with an all pro involvement and even then the actor had bruised ribs following a very realistic hanging sequence. Suspension times and removal of the "corpse" needs lots of thinking about and I would recommend any of the "suggested" rather than real suspension hangings for a school or even adult non-pro event.

 

Did a realistic looking rape and disfigurement with lots of arm waving and a massive scarlet backlight which freaked the audience without either actor actually touching the other. Get creative.

[Matthew Robinson]

Of course, the simple option is to get lots of budding actors...

 

How are you planning on doing it- a gallows kind of thing or hanging from a tree or similar? If a gallows, you could line up the actor and a dummy behind. With clever lighting effects and timing, you could drop the dummy instead of the actor, and then disguise it with clever lighting (think long shadows on the cyc with a red key light, etc).

[Ynot]

:blink:

We used the same method for hanging the bad guy (Fagin ?) at the end of Annie. As he climbed up the bridge, a gunshot rang out, and he swung down on a rope as if his scarf had got snagged (he was only visible from the shoulders down).

 

However, being an amateur production, some corners were "trimmed" and we had no professionals involved. During rehearsals, the scarf really DID snag on the carabina on the harness and nobody could tell his writhing was for real until about a minute had gone by and his face was near purple. He was immediately lowered to the stage and after half an hour or so to regain his composure, was given the option to remove the hanging scene from the show entirely.

 

He decided that as long as some extra safety measures were put in place, he was happy to continue.

 

The extra safety measures were to make sure the scarf did not come into contact with the carabina, to have somebody watching him constantly, and for two safety signals to be given all the time whilst he was hanging:

1) A hand signal of his thumb touching his little finger was "I'm OK". Since this is not a natural position, if he lost consciousness, the signal would stop - as would the show!

2) His feet would be horizontal or slightly upwards. Again, not being a relaxed position, if he was in difficulty or lost consciousness, his feet would droop and the show would immediately stop.

Hmmm...

Sorry Mutley, but what you've described, to me, sound like very real reasons for NOT trying this as an am-dram trick.

Firstly the fact that there was even the chance of a snag in the FIRST place, let alone it actually happening.

And giving the talent hand signals to form part of a safety net isn't exactly ideal, because if there is potential for it to go wrong, it can do so VERY quickly and too late for any hand signals to make any difference!

 

My advice - make it work with sleight of hand/inventive lighting/use of dummy etc. DO NOT risk the talent unless the trick is perfected by a pro.

 

Oh - and Fagin in Annie where he gets hung at the end??

 

Surely you mean Bill Sykes in Oliver...?:blink:

[J Pearce]

I could happily hang most of the characters in Annie!

[matt_h]

This was done at Uni a few years ago. They had the guy stood with just his heels on a ledge poking out from some set, then when the "hanging" came he dropped down and landed on a bench just below which gave a dropping though a trap effect. The noose itself had been tied with a bit of thread holding it together so that any load on it caused it to break away. Apparently with how it was lit it produced quite a good effect.

 

If it's the show I'm thinking of the actor only ever moved his head whilst it was in the noose; all forms of dropping, jumping, or suspension were considered to have an element of risk that none of us on the commitee were prepared to take.

 

The actor climbed onto a stool the same height as the riser behind him, the "noose" was placed over his head, and then through good blocking on the directors behalf his "executioner" created a diversion whilst he shuffled back onto the riser. Then at the end of the executioners diatribe he marched back across the stage and kicked the stool away, couple this with an instant snap to black, and 0.5 of a second later back to a new subtley "darker" state with the actor hanging his head, followed by a fade to black it really did appear that he had been hung.

 

As livelifetotheverymax has already pointed out the "noose" never was a true noose. If memory serves me correctly we wrapped a short length of rope around the long suspended rope to give the impression of a "coil" a piece of light cotton was then stitched into the end of the long rope which then passed back up through our "coil" to form the "noose." Applying the lightest pressure to the bottom of the noose would cause it to fall away.

 

Being a students union the theatre was open to the public during the day and outside of our control during that time. At the end of every show the noose was removed from its fly bar and secured away from public view or tampering fingers; the reasoning being that it looked realistic enough to cause distress if used inappropriately, or could be sufficiently altered . Prior to it being reattached to the bar before each show it was inspected by the SM, flyman and all 3 members of cast who came into contact with it during the show to ensure it hadn't been tampered with and signed off to the effect that they were happy to use it. Additionally whilst this part of the act was being performed the flyman kept a close watch from the rail, and the ASM was stood just off stage in the wings as spotters, the cast members involved also had a very distinct change of their lines should they feel that something was not right, in this scenario the noose would be lowered and a blackout used to signify his hanging.

 

 

Wow, this is turning into a bit of an essay! This is the IMPORTATNT bit:

 

When the director first asked us to do this effect we said;

 

"Not a cat in hells chance are we even going to consider that, do it with a noose being flown in and the power of suggestion."

 

It was only after alot of discussion, planning, and risk assessment that we reluctantly went ahead with it, even then it was with a certain amount of trepidation, I don't think any of us were ever completely at ease with the idea.

 

In your situation in a school I would not entertain the idea of putting a students head in a noose, all of the scenario above required that the actors took as much responsibility for their safety and care as the crew during this particular scene, by definition of being a school you cannot ask a student to do this! Take up Kerry's suggestion of suspension of belief and get creative with backlight, shadows and the power of suggestion.

[GridGirl]

Moderation: Several posts in this thread have been removed as the moderation team does not believe we should be allowing posts which explain how to do this effect. The only suitable answer is "get a professional or don't do it" - there are too many horror stories - one of which is Mutleys post earlier in this thread. To the OP: if you have to ask, you shouldn't be doing it. If this seems harsh, sorry, but it is just too risky. What happens if someone gets hurt or killed - would you be prepared to stand up in court and say "oh, but someone on an internet forum who I don't actually know personally told me to do it this way and said it would be fine"? Any further posts explaining how to do the effect will also be removed. Anna (mods)