Hamlet

The works of William Shakespeare have their agnostics in addition to their adherents, and this reviewer must confess to being 'on the fence' with regards to the much-revered tragedy of the Prince of Denmark...Is this a Hamlet that lovers of the text will enjoy seeing? Very likely. Does it have enough strength and quality to impress the fence-sitters and make them glad they came? Most probably.

Rob Croser's Independent Theatre can be relied upon for a professional shine to their shows. This Hamlet is designed both simply and powerfully, while being brilliantly lit by Susan Grey-Gardner, with spectacular creation of shadows. Fog is deployed carefully and judiciously for maximum atmosphere, while occasional music cues add mystery and menace to the mixture, but sound effects are a less consistently successful contribution.

Director Croser demonstrates his talent for designing multi-performer tableaux that are a pleasure to regard, but he is also unafraid of staging some scenes in an almost static fashion. Sequences such as those between the young prince and his ghostly father strive for an unabashedly theatrical effect, but Croser modulates the performances just enough to avoid hamming and instead produce high drama - spiked with occasional dark humour.

Will Cox's embodiment of the central character is electrically expressive; at its best, his arresting interpretation manages to make even agnostics understand why Hamlet's story is so enduring and ultimately compelling. Our tragic hero's black mourning clothes in the first scene tend to give him the outward appearance of a villain, adding to the sense of texture and intrigue.

Paul Rodda skilfully embodies both villainy and vulnerability while playing Claudius; the decision to cast him also as the Ghost is a successful one. Bronwyn Ruciak is reliably impressive in the role of Gertrude, while Sheldrick Yarkpai is a most strong and sympathetic presence as Horatio. Suggesting rich reserves of compassion and concern within his character is Jett Zivkovic as Laertes (and also pressed into double duty as Guildenstern).

Polonius is a quite superb fit for David Roach, and the actor's understated delivery of witty dialogue hits the mark nicely, but the decision to double him as the Gravedigger produces mixed results. The unaffectedly Australian accent deployed here may have been intended to communicate class difference, but it does so in a jarring manner.

Comparably, Jordan Carling's appearance as Osric is not quite distinct enough from his earlier contribution as Rosencrantz, and so the relatively small role becomes a medium-sized distraction. Ophelia is given a visually striking and technically competent rendering by Madeleine Herd, though the depth of her later grief and madness does not quite translate; less ethereality and more soulfulness may have encouraged greater empathy from the audience.

While the generally commendable acting and strong production values cannot completely prevent certain parts of Hamlet - even as edited here - from feeling flabby and sluggish, this is a qualm that should not prevent you from sampling this particular slice of Shakespeare.

Anthony Vawser