Bristol Old Vic – the oldest working theatre in the English-speaking world – has been staging Hamlet for an incredible 255 years.
So does this new production from director John Haidar have anything new to say?
As it was one of my A level set texts, many moons ago, I’ve seen several versions of this Shakesperian tragedy over the years. And this particular staging felt to me the one of the most engaging and captivating.
That’s not least because Billy Howle’s portrayal of a son in grief, losing grip on reality, is so sensitively done.
Never over-egged, always believable, his veering between despair and anger to sadness and madness is enthralling.
Then there’s the video backdrops and the recording of events as he attempts to build up a case against his uncle – all of which give the play a sense of the thriller.
My partner – who’s never seen Hamlet on stage before found the story easy to follow – no mean feat in a Shakesperian play. It’s a gift when actors like Billy Howle deliver their lines so well, so compellingly.
The stage is awash with talent. There’s Mirren Mack as a sad, confused Ophelia swept along by everyone else’s wishes but her own, Isabel Adomakoh Young whose confident performance as Horatio is a breath of fresh air; Finbar Lynch is an understated villain Claudius, and his real-life wife Niamh Cusack is a beguiling presence on stage – excellent as the woman trying to appease an angry son, but then repentant when she discovers the truth about her new coupling with her dead husband’s brother. Jason Barnett as Polonius, meanwhile, brings some much-needed light-hearted humour to the proceedings which, running at over three hours long needs such interludes.
The set design reflects Hamlet’s psychological state – almost entirely black, dark and shadowy – with narrow steps leading to hidden rooms we never get to see. It fits the mood perfectly.
Watch out, too, for a moment at the end of the first act that will get you questioning everything. Is Act 2 going to rewrite Shakesperean history?
Spoiler alert. No, it isn’t. And part of me was, if I’m honest, a little disappointed that it didn’t.
Perhaps a little more of this kind of shock value throughout the play might have made this production outstanding, or revolutionary, though purists may disagree wholeheartedly.
As it stands, it’s a production that stays true to the story and mood, that’s excellently acted (particularly by Billy Howle) and staged and still one of the best I’ve seen.
Hamlet is on at Bristol Old Vic until 12th November
Bristol Old Vic On Screen will broadcast two live performances on 10 & 11 Nov.