You only get one chance to see Hamlet played the way you choose to see it. Tonight, 10pm, at the Rhodes Theatre. If you miss it you miss out.
A product of the brilliant innovativeness (is there even such a word) of Tim Carroll’s mind, it’s a sort of Shakesperian theatresports – only I believe it is not, exactly.
Cast member Tamara Guhrs tried to portray a sense of it the other morning over a cup of coffee, but I’m afraid to say I was not paying as much attention as I should of been. Well, it was morning. I do recall her saying that each cast member has to commit three of Shakespeare’s characters to heart, and is required, at the whim of the audience, to play any one of them.
Props were another thing. There are none, except those provided by the audience (hence the note on the flyer: bring an object) and what’s more, the actors are not allowed to pretend the object is something else, it is what it is; a pen, a wallet (empty one would presume), a bunch of keys etc.
So, should we come, let’s say, to scene involving a duel, and the protagonists each have a bottle of water, they have to duel with bottles of water as bottles of water. They cannot pretend they have swords in their hands.
Do not be too concerned at the length of the play, it is not the entire Hamlet, they do limit it to five acts.
A once-off piece, I’m betting it should not be missed. At R20 and under for a ticket, you have no excuse.
