NT LIVE Hamlet - a refreshing take on a Shakespeare classic
Something may be rotten in the state of Denmark, but it’s certainly not Robert Hastie’s inspired Hamlet.
The National Theatre has cultivated somewhat of a reputation for innovative and fresh takes on Shakespeare’s works. A personal favourite is their 2019 interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which features gender-swapped lines for fae royalty Oberon and Titania, and concludes its Act I with Oberon and Bottom dancing on a four-poster bed to Love on Top by Beyoncé!
Whilst Robert Hastie’s Hamlet doesn’t go quite that far off-book, it is still a vibrant and enjoyable offering. Led competently by Hiran Abeysekera as the titular Danish prince, the whole cast puts on a fantastic show.
For me, a mark of a good Shakespeare is when you can understand what’s going on without necessarily understanding the language. All the performers successfully conveyed the meaning of their words through expression and tone, which isn’t an easy feat.
A particular highlight was Siobhán Redmond as the First Player. She only had one monologue, but it was absolutely captivating.
Another standout performance was Francesca Mills as Ophelia, who gave a heart-wrenching performance despite her limited time onstage. In this interpretation, Ophelia goes from a sparkling, vibrant young woman with humour, intelligence, and wit to a shell of herself. Mills portrays this incredibly well, and her descent into madness following the death of her father would not be out of place in a horror film.
Abeysekera’s Hamlet tip-toes the line between a scared young man grieving his father’s untimely passing, and a playboy prince who fails to take anything at all seriously. I enjoyed how, in his first discussion with his father’s ghost, he sat with his feet tucked under himself on a chair, childlike and rapt. This light-and-shade approach brought a refreshing comedy to some areas, especially his Act I interactions with bumbling Polonius.
His soliloquies were delivered well, and staged interestingly. Some took the more traditional approach of him solely onstage, whereas others utilised lighting and freeze frames.
However, Abersekera’s line delivery was sometimes muffled and too quick, which limited the emotional impact of certain scenes.
The production design, from sets, to lighting, to costumes, was absolutely second to none. The majority of the play is set in an imposing, ornate stately room, which one could certainly imagine in a real Danish palace.
It transforms from the haunting ground of the King’s ghost, to a ballroom, to Ophelia’s resting place, to the site of Laertes and Hamlet’s duel without really transforming at all. Some walls move, and curtains are used to create new spaces when needed, but the space is so versatile that different sets simply aren’t needed.
Ben Stones not only shines as set designer, but provides brilliant costumes too. This interpretation features modern dress, but in a relatively timeless way.
Hamlet swings between suits and casual wear, hilariously delivering one of Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquies in a sweatshirt with the Blockbuster Video logo! This provides visual support to his internal struggle of prince vs boy. The attention to detail in every costume is apparent, with even the security guards wearing radio earpieces.
Jessica Hung Han Yun’s lighting design is effective and powerful from the very first moment. The play opens with Horatio and two guards searching for the King’s ghost using only torches, meaning the audience can only see what they illuminate.
This creates beautiful shadows, complimenting the eerie feel of the scene. It also provides great contrast to the bright lights of the ballroom in the following scene, immediately establishing the two conflicting narratives of the palace - Claudius’ victory celebrations, and Hamlet’s darkness and mourning.
It would be remiss to review this play without highlighting the fantastic attention to detail in the props. In particular, a disposable camera that Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia use in Act I, and Polonius’ ukulele.
This may have been more obvious in the filmed version, but the photo they take in Act I makes a reappearance in Polonius’ belongings that Laertes packs up after his death. Also, Ophelia cradles Polonius’ ukulele like a child when she’s driven mad by his death. It’s details like this which make this interpretation really shine.
Overall, this is a capable and captivating interpretation of a Shakespeare classic. I would really recommend catching the NT LIVE version, in cinemas from January 22nd.
NT LIVE Hamlet is showing at The Dukes from the 22nd January-1st February and at Vue Lancaster from the 22nd January.
