Hamlet – Prince of Denmark, is left grief stricken after the murder of his father by his tenacious uncle, Claudius who now resides the thrown alongside his mother, Gertrude. A tale of revenge, Hamlet’s melancholic mental state is clear, this dictating how he navigates the world moving forward. One of Shakespeare’s most iconic tragedies, Cush Jumbo takes on the complex lead in Greg Hersov’s adaptation.
Courtesy of Helen Murray.
Director Amy Leach breathes new life into a classic tale of murder and betrayal with her modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This gender-swapping, intense and emotional performance shows us just how timeless the piece is; throwing it into the 21stcentury with stunning production elements, atmospheric lighting and adding an ever growing tension through its central relationship between its female Hamlet and her Ophelia.
One of Shakespeare’s most popular and iconic tragedies during his time and the modern day, Hamlet is considered to be the ultimate tale of revenge. Simon Godwin’s adaptation offers a unique take on the narrative, his production drawing on various African influences ranging from the West to South Africa. Taking on the role of Gertrude, Queen of Denmark; Lorna Brown speaks to Theatre Full Stop about how she’s approached taking on the complex role as well as tackling Shakespeare’s rich language.
The Almeida’s new staging of Hamlet is set in contemporary Denmark. The set is flanked with TV screens and looping news broadcasts, the spectre of media saturation possibly suggesting an overlap between Shakespeare’s cloistered, paranoiac courts and modern society, where we too submit to the relentless scrutiny of strangers. Despite the flashy revamp, however, Robert Icke’s production feels relatively conservative, dutifully adapting the source material and making few cuts to the text.
With the 450th birthday celebrations of one of our most celebrated playwrights well and truly underway, each play serves as a reminder of just how influential Shakespeare’s part has been in the worlds of both the English language and the landscape of theatre making. Founded 2 years ago, Zoe Ford‘s theatre company, Hiraeth Productions has sought to bridge the gap between the Elizabethan/Jacobean era in which Shakespeare thrived, and the technological, forward thinking era in which we now live. Ahead of Zoe’s production of Hamlet, I was able to speak to the Director about her prison inspired interpretation, her inspirations for founding Hiraeth and why being a Text Assistant for Shakespeare’s Globe has proved invaluable!
As founder of Hiraeth Artistic Productions, what inspired you to create the company?
Starting a theatre company was an idea that came to me at drama school; studying theatre performance was the first time I was exposed to the process of theatre creation – production, direction etc. It fascinated me, the thought of starting my own company was exhilarating, so I plunged in head first.
A Shakespearean classic, Hamlet is home to probably one of the most uttered lines in human history! But with the world of Shakespeare often feeling like an anomaly all of own, how can the themes of 400 years ago be in anyway relatable to todays issues? Hiraeth Productions answer this by updating the dramatic classic, setting the play in the gritty and male dominated confines of Her Majesty’s Prison, Liverpool. Typically the shy and retiring heroine, actress Jessica White redefines the role of Ophelia as a strong and independent psychiatric Mental Health Carer. Ahead of the production, I was able to speak to Jessica about Ophelia’s new found strength, her love for Stage Combat and why motion capture is the cinematic future!
You’re currently starring as Ophelia in Hiraeth’s production of Hamlet. How are rehearsals going for that?
They’re going brilliantly! We’re a couple of weeks in, all of the ideas are on the table, and we’re still in the playing stage, which is fun!