Review: Manhunt (Royal Court)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Royal Court Theatre’s new Artistic Director David Byrne’s inaugural season was nothing short of sensational, culminating with the imminent West End transfer of the multi-Olivier award-winning Giant. Hopes are high for his second season and one of the most talked about productions in said season is the world premiere of Manhunt. With an intriguing subject on a notorious figure and boasting Robert Icke’s Royal Court debut, would Manhunt prove to be a killer show?

Manhunt is centred around Raoul Moat – you may remember that name from the events of 2010 that made headline news as one of the most infamous manhunts of the century took place in an attempt to catch him, following a murder. Manhunt attempts to tell the story from Moat’s point of view, attempting to get inside of his hand and imagining what may have caused him to do the things he did.

Written and directed by Robert Icke, Manhunt is interesting in its narrative style. While Moat is known in the media as a callous murderer, Icke attempts to find a motive and reasoning in his Moat’s actions, opting to find a balance between heartless monster and the troubled human. While that might not sit completely right with people who may argue by painting Moat in a more human light, it is offering redemption and almost forgiving the unforgivable actions he did on the few days he was on the run. In his writing, Icke shows it’s not as clear-cut as that, showcasing Moat’s history as timelines intersect, never shying away from the intimidating and often terrifying nature of Moat, culminating in his crimes, all the while asking bigger questions.

Icke using Moat as an example of much bigger themes at hand. Toxic masculinity, domestic abuse, abuse of power, struggles with class, mental health and feeling like you don’t fit in in a world are all themes that pop up in a story full of depth and intrigue. It would be very easy for Icke to rest on his laurels and say “Raoul Moat was a bad person” – instead, he chooses to explore what that overly-simplistic phrase even means, and what makes somebody a good or bad person. As Moat tries to explain his actions and even justify them, he is the first to call himself a bad person. There is still a human in there somewhere and Icke attempts to find him amongst a sea of monstrous activities. The result is a thrilling watch that sends your mind racing with conflicting thoughts and feelings.

Icke’s direction also uses bold choices throughout in a production that proves uncomfortable and unsettling – this may prove strong and opposing reactions from people, but no matter what you feel about these production choices, you certainly can’t accuse Icke of playing it safe or Manhunt being boring in any shape or form. The boldest of these choices is a prolonged blackout midway through the play. Extremely powerful in its execution with nothing but a long monologue, performed live at each performance by Nicolas Tennant, echoing through the theatre during this – the reason for this blackout becomes clear midway through and proves incredibly impactful. By the time the lights came back on, my heart was racing as much as my mind was.

Anyone fearing by focusing on the killer, Manhunt negates the repercussions on the victims will see their fears unfounded in the pivotal blackout sequence, beautifully written and providing a new quality to the piece as it speaks of the intricacies of one of Moat’s victims in surprising ways, using real facts from this person’s life. Through (literal) darkness and tragedy, Icke is able to sensitively talk about mental health and lasting effects of traumatic incidents, with the heightened senses making this all the more penetrating.

The various design elements take Icke’s vision and beautifully realise it with Hildegard Bechtler’s initially minimalistic set deceptive in its design and revealing a striking transformation. Azuso Ono’s lighting proves deliberately blinding at times but always effective, with the expertly handled blackouts and, particularly, the moments that bookend this prolonged sequence a testament to the skill and vision of the design. Video plays a big part in the production with live filming used sporadically and in a refreshing manner, as well as the use of social media posts. The sparing use of this is what makes it continually effective, with Ash J Woodward’s design always thrilling,

Sound design is also crucial to the success of Manhunt with Tom Gibbons implementing it to riveting effect most notably in the aforementioned blackout sequence, but also throughout the remainder of the piece with atmospheric sound increasing the intensity of the piece. Intense is a key word as this is what Manhunt is frequently. Moat’s explosions of anger are genuinely horrifying to watch with Kev McCurdy’s fight direction providing some jaw-dropping moments, delivered with precision.

In a consistently impressive production, the most impressive aspect comes from the man charged with taking on Raoul Moat – Samuel Edward-Cook. In a demanding performance in many senses, be it physically, emotionally and mentally. Edward-Cook thrills with his ever-presence, on stage before the audience has entered and seemingly remaining there after they leave. Who can say if he remains there during the blackout but other than that, his performance is central to the show and what a performer he is. Full of anguish, rage and conflicting emotions that attempt to paint the complexities of Moat’s mind and character, this is not a straightforward character by any stretch but Edward-Cook effortlessly manages to navigate all of the demands to deliver an astonishing performance that simultaneously terrified and captivated me.

The remainder of the cast take on multiple roles as they fill in the gaps in Moat’s story, from his childhood, the run-up to the situation and the manhunt itself. Sally Messham has a strong presence as his partner, Sam, though does feel underused and had me longing to see more from her. Another highlight comes from Danny Kirrane in an impassioned plea towards the show’s climax while Trevor Fox takes on a certain legendary footballer who made an unexpected cameo in Moat’s actual story so fittingly pops up here as well.

Gritty, unflinching, raw and real, Manhunt is a powerful watch. By no means a comfortable watch and one that many will have an extreme reaction to one way or another, but I’d argue that’s better than having no reaction at all. As weird as it may sound, I enjoy the shows that make me uncomfortable as it is still a feeling, and I live for the shows that evoke any sort of emotional response in me as Manhunt managed. As much as I loved this production, I can see it is not perfect with a couple of pacing issues making it slightly uneven at times, and I would have perhaps liked to have seen a couple of the supporting characters more fleshed out but, for the most part, this is a resounding success. Another winner for Royal Court, don’t be surprised if Manhunt follows in the footsteps of Giant and travels elsewhere following this run. For now, though, I would strongly advise you catch this production while you can.

Manhunt plays at Royal Court until 3rd May 2025. Tickets from www.royalcourttheatre.co.uk

Photos by Manuel Harlan