Last Summer, we have missed Everyman Theatre bringing their customary Shakespeare to Bute Park, as the Open Air Festival fell victim, as so many arts events in Wales seem to these days, to lack of funding. They are thankfully now back, running a production of Hamlet in the Seligman Theatre in Chapter Arts Centre, and it is good to see that they have not lost their ambition when it comes to grappling with the Bard, as they tackle one of his most famous, most conceptual, and therefore most complicated works. To bring Hamlet to the stage is to face the spectre – no pun intended – of some of the most famous pieces of theatre ever written, and of the many great names who have breathed further life into them. The task might seem daunting, but the Everyman company picks it up with gusto and with a sensitivity that belies a deep understanding of the play and what it is about.
“You’ve never seen Hamlet quite like it”, the blurb on the company website promises, but this is not quite true: we have, in fact, seen many staging of Hamlet that followed the same principle as this one – stripped-down, with little to no set design to speak of and the cast dressed in deliberately nondescript outfits which suggest the story might be taking place at virtually any period in time, or perhaps in a place out of time altogether. That this formula has been seen already does not detract anything from its effectiveness: it is, it could be argued, perhaps the best approach to doing Hamlet in the modern era. It is also one of the most challenging, since the actors have no stage magic or other distractions to rely upon, and have to carry the weight of this rather ponderous work entirely with their performance. You need a deep trust in your abilities and a good understanding of the characters to do that, and it is a credit to this cast that they have both. This Hamlet, in particular, comes across as the too-smart-for-his-own-good University student that he, at heart, is: intense in places, gobby in others, over-the-top at times, all of it barely disguising the deep fragility that forms the emotional core of the character. Among the other performances it is worth mentioning a soft-spoken and rather unsettling take on Claudius, a character that is often sidelined in favour of his more famous counterpart; and a deeply emotional Horatio. Ophelia is arguably the hardest part to deliver, and here she is performed delicately and compassionately, making her scenes some of the most memorable.
To be clear: it is not that this production lacks original touches and ideas, but rather that they are subtle and clever, respectful of the spirit of the work. Some roles are gender-bent, but they are picked carefully and not too much fuss is made of it, and the result works well (after all, it is not like the Bard himself was ever averse to blurring gender lines). The overall atmosphere of the staging is the most interesting, perhaps, of these innovations: perhaps fittingly for the early Autumn season, this feels a little like a goth-adjacent take on Hamlet, which is after all in line with the themes of the play and its spectral overtones of ghosts and visions. The scene in particular where Claudius is at prayer and Hamlet sneaks up on him only to reluctantly decide not to strike for fear of sending him to Heaven lingers in the mind because of its clever staging, with the two main characters surrounded by flickering candles which, no other light on stage, cast an otherworldly glare over this intense moment. Claudius is played by David Mercatali and Hamlet by Sidney James Evans. In general, there is an understanding in terms of both direction and stage design that this is a moody play and a play where less is better, since Shakespeare’s text already does so much.
It is always a pleasure to see Everyman do Shakespeare, and long may they continue. A deep understanding of and love for the text comes across in each of their productions, and this one is no exception. It is perfect for the season, and a good occasion to accessibly enjoy a true classic that might otherwise feel intimidating.
Until September 28.