Hamlet

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play, a tragedy written sometime between 1599 and 1601. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his attempts to exact revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.

The title role has been played by many theatre and film luminaries - Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Daniel Day-Lewis, Mel Gibson, Kenneth Branagh, Jude Law, and David Tennant to name a few. Now Hiran Abeysekera joins this auspicious list giving an intense performance as the Danish Prince who descends into madness.

Robert Hastie's production fills the cavernous stage with beautiful sets by Ben Stone, a large talented cast and exquisite music. Along with an abridged script (the original runs about 5 hours), he uses modern costumes (also designed by Ben Stone) to significant effect. The blocking makes full use of the stage while still allowing for the intimacy of key scenes. Jessica Hung Han Yun’s lighting adds moodiness, particularly in the opening scene, which is performed in torch light by the actors, a glimpse of what is to come.

Another highlight is the 'play within a play' - The Murder of Gonzago - beautifully staged with lush red curtains and audience seating, to allow us a perfect view of Claudius's reaction to the play, an ingenious touch!

Richard Taylor’s music, performed by the Carducci String Quartet adds added tension to the epic tale.

In the lead role of Hamlet, Hiran Abeysekera delivers an impassioned performance, rich in emotion. However, some of his soliloquies are delivered so rapidly that it is easy to miss important lines. His pace is admirable but leaves no time for the audience to ‘breathe’ and consider what has happened, and what is yet to come.

As Ophelia, Francesca Mills’ diction and pace are impeccable. She nails every scene and plays Ophelia with a comic touch not often seen in this role. Her character has a playful quality, yet still commanding and a joy to watch. In love with Hamlet, his cruelty to her and her breakdown is by far the most devastating part of this production. She held my attention fully in every scene.

Other members of the cast who nail the rhythm and clarity needed to deliver this complex text are Siobhán Redmond, only though having a small part in the play as a visiting actor, is crystal clear, as is Geoffrey Streatfield's almost amusing Polonius, Tom Glenister's Laertes, and Tessa Wong's Horatio. They all deliver impressive performances.

Shakespeare buffs wait for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (played by Harri MacKinnon and Joe Bollard). The two actors dressed as though they escaped from Hogwarts steal their scenes and give the older performers a ‘run for their money.’

Mentions should also be made of Queen Gertrude (Ayesha Dharker) and Uncle Claudius (Alistair Petrie) who add depth and style to the narrative. There are, of course, many other players in this Shakespeare epic production who all work together as an ensemble to bring the Bard’s words to life.

There have been a number of attempts to make Hamlet more accessible to younger audiences, notably Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet.  While this version of Hamlet almost succeeds, the emphasis on comedy often swamps the true nature of the tragedy. The National Theatre's production values and talent make this production very watchable, but the tragedy often takes second place to the comedy and grandeur of the production. It starts wonderfully with darkness and drama in the opening, torchlit, ghost-filled scenes, but loses its way at times.

That being said it still carries the punch of some of Shakespeare’s most famous lines and scenes and leaves you with a lingering question, ‘Was Hamlet mad, or is it a ruse?’ Despite the evidence in the script that Hamlet is mad, we also see substantial evidence that he is just pretending. The most obvious evidence is that Hamlet himself says he is going to pretend to be mad, suggesting he is at least sane enough to be able to tell the difference between irrational and rational behavior. However, we may never know for sure.

Hamlet, performed by the National Theatre, is a cleverly abridged version of the original text and a thing of beauty to watch and compelling viewing!

Barry Hill OAM

Photographer: Tristram Kenton