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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherGarant Uitgevers N.V.
ISBN-101904380646
ISBN-139781904380641
eBay Product ID (ePID)99515904
Product Key Features
Number of Pages156 Pages
Publication NameMan They Couldn't Hang : a Tale of Murder, Mystery and Celebrity
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2010
SubjectPenology, European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Criminology
TypeTextbook
AuthorMichael Crowley
Subject AreaDrama, Social Science
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height0.5 in
Item Weight8 Oz
Item Length7.6 in
Item Width5.1 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional
TitleLeadingThe
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal822.914
SynopsisDid John Lee commit the murder for which he was due to hang? Did poetic justice intervene on that fateful day in Exeter to prevent a miscarriage of justice? Would Lee stand on the scaffold once again with the noose around his neck, on stage for the paying public? And, will the truth come out, as Lee begins to confide in the woman designated as leading lady during rehearsals? The story of John 'Babbacombe' Lee is one of the most bizarre in the true crime genre. Lee is the only person in English history to have been reprieved after standing on a gallows trap which failed to open. This happened at Exeter Prison in 1885, when the notoriously inept public hangman James Berry gave up after three failed attempts. John Lee would then spend 22 years in prison before being released. And James Berry, on his retirement, would spin gruesome tales of his former trade, showing audiences his dark souvenirs. An ideal vehicle for raising issues of crime and punishment, this innovative two-act play is set in a down-at-heel northern music hall where the hall's proprietor is bent on reviving the venue's glory days. Desperate to pull in the crowds, his latest 'brilliant idea' is to team up John Lee and James Berry in a double act. Written by Michael Crowley, the play will be particularly useful for drama groups in and out of prison, and for tutors or group leaders seeking innovative ways of involving people in the fascinating world of criminal justice. It is also suitable for full-scale production.
