The World Stage production of Necessary Angel’s Hamlet, directed and designed by Graham McLaren (artistic director of Scotland’s Theatre Babel and associate artist of Necessary Angel), is a radical re-imagining of Shakespeare’s play.
Upon entering the theatre, the audience sees Hamlet sprawled on a chair onstage in the aftermath of what appears to have been a wild party. The room and table centre stage is littered with champagne bottles and red plastic beer cups. Five elegant golden chandeliers hang above, a reminder that the chaotic setting is a royal castle, not a fraternity. A radio in the corner emits sombre old hymns. As the lights fade, the play begins—Hamlet stands and switches off the radio, signalling that this will not be a traditional production of Shakespeare’s classic.
This Hamlet wears sneakers, a black suit, and a Sex Pistols T-shirt with the phrase “God Save the Queen” (soon to take on a darker, more ironic meaning). His first line, “that this too, too solid flesh would melt” sets the tone for a production characterized by raw sexuality and violence; the characters humiliate, hurt, deceive and debase themselves and each other. This tour-de-force significantly cuts text and characters. The result is 110 minutes of Shakespeare laid bare with sex, drugs, violence, and rock and roll.
These themes are accentuated by the intimate playing space. Audience members in the front row are involved in the action, either hit with beer cans kicked aside by characters or accidentally sitting all too close to a loaded gun. This proximity and the potential for violence creates a sense that anything can happen. The production also leaves nothing to the imagination—Claudius pushes Gertrude up against a table, preparing to fuck her from behind, while Ophelia’s muddy, half-naked dead body is brought onstage and exhibited.
Hamlet (Gord Rand) commands attention. He has a raspy voice that ranges from a whisper to a ragged yell. Initially he appears in control, playfully traversing the line between madness and sanity, but quickly this line becomes blurred. He switches from brooding to laughter, from passivity to extreme anger and violence. The most striking moment in the play is when he staggers onstage naked, wearing only one sock, a perfect picture of madness. When he reappears to deliver his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy, he is a bit more clothed, wearing blue underpants. In the middle of the speech, he grabs a plastic bag and pulls it over his head, sealing it with duct tape. The few minutes that follow are tense and audience members hold their breaths as he struggles to breathe and make his choice. Unable to follow through, he tears it off, exclaiming: “Aye there’s the rub!” and the audience exhales in relief.
The quality of the performances, however, was inconsistent. Although Eric Peterson captures the fuddy-duddy side to Polonius, he appears too old for this role. His physicality and delivery are stiff and unfocused, and in a Freudian, sexually charged moment with Ophelia, he seems unsure, awkward and unable to commit to the provocative moment McLaren has staged. Although he elicits some laughs, it is only in his role as a foil for Hamlet.
Benedict Campbell seems less like a king and more like a simple man lusting after power and Gertrude, and although his voice exudes authority, his performance does not. However, Gertrude (Laura De Carteret) is riveting to watch. It is clear she is performing a role for Claudius, compromising the dignity of her body and self because the stakes are her survival. Anxious tics reveal the conflict behind her smile, as do the little white pills that she downs. This production emphasizes that Gertrude knows how to play the patriarchal game, but Ophelia (Tara Nicodemo) does not know the rules. Nicodemo masters a variety of emotional registers, from pitiful crying to disconcerting screams, violent anger to gentle singing. At one point, she head bangs to rock music, expressing her inner turmoil. Horatio (Steven McCarthy), in his priestly garb, is Hamlet’s only true ally in a room full of deception. His acting is understated but he has a significant, steadfast moral presence in this atmosphere of amorality.
Evocative music and sound design by Alexander MacSween create an ominous mood and beautiful, discordant notes underscore Hamlet’s actions. McLaren and lighting designer Andrea Lundy play with light to great effect: quick blackouts and the use of flashlights and lanterns cast an eerie ghost-story glow with shadows that play along the walls.
This production makes radical changes, refocusing and revitalizing the classic play. However, despite developing a European aesthetic in interesting ways, McLaren has made some poor casting choices that undermine his presentation of a brutal, warped world.
Hamlet runs through Nov. 29 at Harbourfront’s Enwave Theatre. For more information, visit
necessaryangel.com.
