‘Mr Berry’ – Hangman: ‘Mr James Berry’, the Hangman during the late Victorian period, was responsible for refining the ‘long drop’, the process by which death was delivered, in a humane fashion, to those given sentence of death. He is a dour man who takes his duties very seriously. In top hat and frockcoat, he explains the process by which he arrived at his ‘table of drops’, making reference to the ‘mistakes’ that occurred whilst seeking to perfect his method.
This presentation, which is complemented by 12’ gallows (complete with ‘body’) and an array of ropes and straps, is suitable for both an exterior and an interior location as, from 1868, executions were conducted within prison buildings and thus, a high-roofed hall may prove suitable.