The recent performance of Hamlet at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse had no method to it’s madness.
A gloomy Hamlet trudges around the stage in his Doc Martins whilst sardonically singing The Smiths, making many cringe worthy and juvenile attempts to be edgy which could not go unnoticed. For me, the main flaw in this production was that it was devoid of the central theme of a gradual descent into madness (emphasis on 'gradual') - this is only impactful when the characters go from zero to ten, however, in this production Hamlet started at a five and ended at a fifteen… To put it simply, his character lacked nuance and dimension.
Something I appreciated was the costume and lighting which succeeded in presenting Hamlet’s slow but sure descent into madness, graduating from candle lit chandeliers to cold and harsh surveillance lighting to represent his increasing paranoia. Even in the beginning of the play - with a dramatic opening scene in pitch darkness - the audience is met with an ominous feeling that this play may not be the traditional retelling we thought it might've been. The costumes followed a similar pattern - starting out with traditional renaissance fashion and seamlessly transitioning into modern attire, for most characters anyway.
A choice was made to replace the traditional gravedigger scene with a stand up comedy routine, now, despite the crowd pleasing nature, it takes you out of the Shakespeare fantasy. I felt like I was watching Father Ted live on ice when the Irish catholic priest came out on stage holding Ophelia's ashes. Although the Gravedigger’s stand up comedy was compelling and undeniably witty, it was distracting and felt like a deflection or an interval, causing the audience to forget what they were really watching.
It simply can't be said that this rendition of Hamlet wasn't entertaining to watch - who doesn't want to hear Claudius swear at Fortinbras? - and it goes without saying I enjoyed the experience but there was no real explanation for the kooky interpretation and in spite of the evident innovation, the novelty was lost in translation.
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