A hunt around the head of a murderous man

Royal Court

Robert Icke is lauded for his interpretations of classics (the most recent being his glorious Oedipus) but Manhunt is his first original play. In trying to get inside the head of the notorious killer Raoul Moat who went on the run in 2010, Icke, who also directed, mixes factual events and made-up scenes and conversations. Some critics liked this approach, while others felt it ‘couldn’t make its mind up’. All praised the performance of Samuel Edward-Cook in the lead role and Hildegard Bechtler’s ‘gun metal’ set design. The critics reached out to an unusual number of other works in their efforts to convey the flavour of the play and its subject: Jerusalem, Taxi Driver, Heart of Darkness, Moby Dick, Clockwork Orange, and the recent Adolescence and Punch.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

Sarah Crompton at WhatsOnStage admired it but had reservations: ‘Manhunt is sophisticated in structure and thought, and its treatment of its damaged protagonist is never less than interesting … But in its attempts to be fair to both Moat’s tortured psychology and the suffering of his victims it doesn’t quite land as cogently and powerfully as you might hope.’ She complimented the design: ‘On Hildegard Bechtler’s set, stainless steel beaten panels reflect Azusa Ono’s subtle light, imprisoning Moat in his thoughts; when he goes on the run through his beloved Northumberland countryside, they resemble a thundery sky. ‘

Dave Fargnoli for The Stage felt, ‘Without ever attempting to excuse or explain Moat’s dreadful actions, this challenging, shattering and strikingly humane play from celebrated writer-director Robert Icke (uses) Moat’s grim story to frame potent questions about toxic masculinity.’ He praised the lead: ‘Samuel Edward-Cook is mesmerising as Moat, unflinchingly exploring the killer’s horrible, yet disturbingly recognisable, motivations. He frequently reveals flashes of sensitivity or vulnerability, then shamefacedly hides them.’

Time Out‘s Andrzej Lukowski noted that, once Moat arrives in the countryside, ‘the play really clicks, warping from something quite literal into something borderline metaphysical, a sort of psychographic journey into the hinterlands of toxic masculinity rather than an attempt to literally explain what happened.’ He ended, ‘Manhunt may spell things out a bit much, but it’s also emotionally vivid and compellingly other, blessed with great performances and an unnerving grandeur as Moat’s cracked, Kurtz-like odyssey takes him towards his own heart of darkness.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

The Standard’s Nick Curtis wrote, ‘It’s a tense and unnerving 100 minutes, driven by a frankly terrifying performance from a pumped-up, bullet-headed Samuel Edward-Cook as Moat.’ He was unhappy with the many conversations and events that ‘never happened’:  ‘Icke is one of the most gifted theatre artists working today … but for all its intensity, Manhunt feels like it’s hedging its bets. Or worse, can’t make its mind up.’

Alice Saville in The Independent found ‘it lacks Icke’s usual ability to winnow complex source material into one coherent message.’ She ended: ‘Manhunt is completely engrossing to watch, like watching a tiger prowl up and down in its cage – Hildegard Bechtler’s set design creates a metal prison for this trapped man. But like a mismanaged zoo, it’s ultimately not as compassionate as it makes itself out to be.’

While describing it as ‘thought-provoking’, Olivia Rook at LondonTheatre  There’s no doubt Manhunt stretches the bounds of artistic licence, with one of the play’s most engaging moments being an imagined conversation between Moat and Gascoigne (who, in reality, was denied access at the scene). But in some ways the show’s fascinating, real history also seems to limit it, with the recreation of events often feeling expositional.

Finding it too long, The Times’ Clive Davis concluded, ‘Icke has so many good ideas – yet he needs a better editor, too.’ He didn’t always feel this way: ‘For the first hour of this hallucinatory drama, Icke creates an almost unbearably intense portrait of a drifter who is a combination of volcanic anger and paranoia.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar took a similar view to other critics but was more damning: ‘(T)his production is strangely plodding, a rather too expositional synthesis of events, despite the theatrical flourishes. It is neither revelatory nor emotional enough,’ declared Arifa Akbar in The Guardian. She concluded, ‘This story hangs in the air, unsure of – or opaque in – its intentions. Is this an anatomy of a breakdown? An investigation into the ways Moat was failed? Or a portrait of white, northern, working-class masculinity in extreme crisis? It seems like a bit of all, but not enough of one.’

Gary Naylor for BroadwayWorld found Icke’s ‘approach too close to Enid Blytonesque exposition salted with repetition’. He described it as ‘a production that resurrects a man only to bury him again 100 minutes later, having said far less than it might have. And, more pertinently, far less than it should have.’

Critics’ Average Rating 3.1★

Manhunt can be seen at the Royal Court Theatre until 3 May 2025. Click here for tickets. 

If you have seen Manhunt at Nottingham Playhouse or The Young Vic, please give your review and rating below