Jemma Tonkin
‘Hamlet’ is everywhere at the moment. With the recent release of the Oscar-winning film ‘Hamnet’, Taylor Swift’s ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ being played constantly, as well as The Lumineers’ ‘Ophelia’ becoming popular on TikTok, the play is well used in pop-culture. ‘Hamlet’ is clearly timeless, and the RSC proved this. In an unusual twist, this adaptation was set on a sinking ship in 1912 (surely the Titanic), making it a refreshing revival. Having seen modern adaptations of Shakespeare plays before and disliked them, I was apprehensive going into this performance, but the RSC did not disappoint.
A play dealing with grief, revenge, and family lends itself well to being set on a confined ship. What was striking was the impending sense of doom throughout the entire play, raising the themes of mortality and justice. At the start of each scene, the time of night that the scene took place would flash up and beep urgently, with Act 3 ending dramatically at midnight just before the interval. The constant reminder of time was a brilliant way to build suspense in the lead up to the tragic final battle scene at the end of the play.
Staging a play on a ship is no mean feat. There is a reason why Shakespeare referenced so many scenes in his plays that took place on a ship, but always skipped to the aftermath of the event, with the characters onshore. The RSC embraced this challenge, having the stage at a constant tilt, like a rocking boat, and with a moving ceiling to emphasise the swell and sway. Stunning visuals of a moving sea at night set the backdrop, changing with the lighting and the mood. Although some audience members said that this made them slightly dizzy, this is just credit to how realistic the set was.
The audience was gripped.
A lot of people would shy away from seeing a performance of Shakespeare because of the preconceived idea of not being able to understand it. However, these plays originally were written for the general public’s entertainment, not to be scrutinised in a classroom. With the right actors, his plays are easily understandable, and this production was easy to follow along due to the remarkable acting. Obviously, a standout was Hamlet himself, played by Ralph Davis. He brought an over-the-top dramatised version of Hamlet to the stage, showing his madness and overwhelming desire for control. I thought this made him very unlikable, especially because of his treatment of Ophelia. The decay of his mental state was convincingly and engagingly performed—the audience was gripped.
Another favourite of mine (surprisingly) was Polonius, played by Richard Cant, Ophelia and Laertes’ father. The actor played the role with such sincerity, charm, and heart that his death weighed upon every character and every audience member.
The costuming was perfect for a maritime production, turning the soldiers in the original play into sailors and crew. There was a beautiful portrayal of Gertrude’s and Claudius’ wedding attire, as well as Ophelia’s dress. Costume changes were used to contrast the formal wedding outfits with madness, as this beautiful exterior was shed by both Hamlet and Ophelia at various points. Emerging from formal clothes into sleepwear, they were stripped back (quite literally) to their raw grief and overwhelming mad states.
Georgia-Mae Myers’ Ophelia was the grounding character, standing up for herself against Hamlet until he kills her father. An interpretive dance in between scenes foreshadowed her infamous death by drowning later on in the play. She was a relatable and rational character who become understandably weighed down by the events around her until she could no longer take it. Her death marks the beginning of the end for this play.
It was a tense ending to an incredible performance.
The final scene was gripping and convincingly dangerous, with death all around. Like many of Shakespeare’s tragedies, the last scene is one of chaos and confusion, turning the order upside down and leaving an unexpected character alive to clean up the mess. The sheer emotion and anger in the battle between Hamlet and Laertes was felt in every part of the theatre. It was a tense ending to an incredible performance.
The sound and lighting team have to be commended for creating an atmosphere so consuming and life-like that you forget you are sitting in a theatre, not a moving boat. The haunting visual of the ghost of Hamlet’s father had to be believable for the audience to understand Hamlet’s descent into madness. This was done exquisitely, with the ghost gliding slowly on the stage, inviting Hamlet to follow him into the madness that then consumes him.
Unsurprisingly, the RSC have lived up to their unwavering reputation of putting on brilliantly innovative performances of Shakespeare. This was an embodiment of what Shakespeare should be: entertaining, emotional, and perhaps most importantly, understandable. Thought clearly went into every movement of this play, and it was a spectacle.
The RSC’s ‘Hamlet’ is currently touring its regional partner theatres, ending in Canterbury on the 25th of April. If you get a chance to see this incredible performance, do not let it pass you by. I may go just as mad as Hamlet.
Jemma Tonkin
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of Marc Brenner. No changes were made to these images.
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