Review by Darcy Rock
As Shakespeare’s longest and arguably most renowned play, Hamlet demands the upmost commitment to the dramatic arts. Thankfully Melbourne Shakespeare theatre companies’ latest rendition is exemplar of what can be realised with a passionate and talented ensemble. What award winning director Iain Sinclair (A View from a Bridge/ Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf) describes as a ‘personal Everest’ is worth everything at stake; it bestows a rare opportunity for audiences to witness the play with a modern ingenuity and exquisite cast.
Playing in the warehouse-style basement of Fortyfivedownstairs in Melbourne’s Flinders Lane, the space lends a uniquely exclusive and underground feeling that is immediately intriguing. The stage is centred with audience members seated around the action, gesturing to the 360 degree space of the Globe Theatre where Shakespeares’ plays were originally performed. In this way we are an audience facing inwards: we become the walls in which the secrets of these characters are kept and revealed and we are the mirrors. As an audience we are aware that we can be seen and that we can see in and around what we typically could. This closeness reveals the dynamicism of the actors playing subtly, it feels like we’re all in the front row albeit at times self-conscious.
The movement in this space is so cleverly terrained, it’s variety of exits and entrances keep the pace on its toes, and it never feels as long as the four hours it typically takes to stage Hamlet. In fact this show is concise, running at 170 minutes long with an interval included. While the brevity is mostly impressive, it is limited in the few breaks it offers to process the emotional complexity and applaud these stunning actors. At times lines are lost to the pace of the dialogue, this may also be because the actors are not using microphones and occasionally are turned away. Despite this the soundscapes offered are modern, frightening cracking sounds you might hear at a party and guitars amongst the lighting are instrumental in this movement too; as candles and smartphone torches create shadowing and atmosphere, the smoke from the extinguished candles add a symbolic nudge to the shadows and changing appearances of the characters.
Our Hamlet is Jacob Collins-Levy (The Witcher/ Dr Who) who first appears grief-stricken and hunched in a long dark trench coat and doc martens. His stereotypical ‘emo’ aesthetic is paired against the corporate clad of the newly appointed Queen Gertrude played by Natasha Herbert alongside her new husband, Hamlet’s Uncle, Claudius played by Peter Houghton. It feels there is a business deal taking place. Hamlet is convincingly overcome in this opening act by the latest family scandal, the escalation of which demands Collins-Levy to deliver subtle deviations of mania and despair. He’s impressive in his emotional scope and in fact every cast member’s performance allows for an idiosyncratic contribution; from the comic relief of Polonius played by Darren Gilshenan to the sibling teasing and camaraderie between Laertes played by Laurence Boxhall and Ophelia played by Aisha Aidara. It’s a treat to find these actors emerge from the do not sit seats in the front row and perform like it could be any of us.
For a theatre company founded in 2016, the offerings of Shakespeare Theatre Company are quite refined and thoughtful. While the modernisation of Hamlet doesn’t necessarily make it more accessible, in regards to understanding the subtle poetics of dialogue, there is an amusing quality to its inclusion. This rendition will be more satisfying for those audience members with a prior knowledge and context of the play and while those unfamiliar will be entertained by the talent and creativity, some nuances may be missed in the verbose dialogue that we all know Shakespeare for.
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