Theatre Review
Production: Hamlet
By: William Shakespeare
Director: Adrian Noble
Where: Stratford Shakespeare Festival Of Canada
Run: April 23^rd to October 26^th, 2008
Theatre: Festival Theatre 

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey (Ontario Correspondent - Canada) 

It must be a huge feat to play Hamlet. Easily the most recognizable character of Shakespeare's roster, and of histories pool-of-choice, Hamlet is the essence of our own inner dialogue and confrontation with our own humanity. Hamlet is so flawed, and yet so engaging; no prince before or after, real or of myth, has been so discussed internationally.

So this seasons Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada's production of Hamlet holds the same pressure that any other production of the same title would; a bit like the staging of Fortinbras' invasion, the play too must be executed with strength, skill and a little cunning.

Hamlet starts with ominous music and a light bulb within a metal lamp frame without a shade. Perhaps excitement could takeover. Are we in for a dark and pensive Hamlet so intense we have not seen the like before?  

The stage is simply lit, with a piano off to the side that characters play from time to time a haunting tune that captures melancholy, magic and mystery. The play is set perhaps in two time periods, which seemed unclear. Much of the costumes took on the Victoriana distinction that Kenneth Branagh's film version of Hamlet also achieved, with a 1940s current of costumery and props (such as the billiard table) also added in. The merging of the two time periods seemed distracting more than intriguing. Ophelia was on the verge of being infantilized with her little girl dresses and little girl bedroom suite. Adrienne Gould, who plays Ophelia, is a phenomenal actress and does a sublime job, but the overall perception of this Ophelia was entirely purified. How was Hamlet attracted enough to this Ophelia to express odes and declarations of love in letters? She had no Anne Boleyn enticements about her presence. 

Gertrude, possibly the character I would most adore to play in Shakespeare's roster of female roles, and performed this time around by Maria Ricossa, was a beautiful essence of temperate grace and misdirected grief. Ricossa brings Gertrude into the magnificence her station affords. Scott Wentworth's Claudius was menacing and calculating. I am such a huge fan of Wentworth as his old-school approach to acting in theatre is so professional and brings forward the depth of each character he evokes onstage. Polonius, played by Geraint Wyn Davis is by far, the best part of this production of Hamlet. Wyn Davis timing is superb, giving the blundering and self-absorbed Polonius the height of his fullest zenith. Another two performances that shone was that of the Gravediggers (Victor Ertmanis, Randy Hughson) who appeared to be the earliest form of Grateful Dead fans (pun intended). The Gravediggers were exactly what you suspect a sea of Grateful Dead fans to look like; slightly unkept men in their early 60s with long greying hair and great conversationalists.  Truly this Hamlet was exceptional for its supporting performances.

So without further ado, I will discuss Hamlet as performed by Ben Carlson. Last season, Carlson was predominantly at the Shaw Festival playing the title role in George Bernard Shaw's The Philanderer . I enjoyed his performance last year, but was not particularly amazed by his skill as a performer, so I was a little surprised to discover he would be this seasons Hamlet at Stratford. Stepping aside the potential list of hot ticket actors that would give their right hand to perform as Hamlet, the festival decided to go with a relative unknown they felt had the acting chops. Definitely, Carlson speaks Shakespeare's words well enough, with no awkward pauses, but I found that although Carlson knew the words, he struggled with the meaning. Pouring every ounce into his performance before the intermission, he had little left to offer the audience for the last Act. Carlson spent much of his performance as Hamlet playing the role as aggressively angry and writhing around the floor far too many times to mention. Most of the performance was done under a scowl. Carlson confuses violence with rage; this Hamlet appears as an abusive man who has finally found an excuse to channel his violence. It is for this exact reason that I felt Carlson did not understand the meaning of Hamlet's words. Hamlet is angry indeed at seeing his Mother marry his Uncle only weeks after his Father has died, but Hamlet is also stunned and confused, he is offended and frustrated at his own weaknesses. Hamlet's rage is unleashed in many differing forms, and not simply one. Carlson played a relatively good Hamlet, but performing the role for the pre-eminent Shakespearean theatre in North America, this simply wasn't a strong enough performance. Especially when you think of who directed the performance.... 

Adrian Noble, perhaps not a household name, but most auspiciously a theatre household name; Noble was the Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company in England for thirteen years and directed Kenneth Branagh to his 1992 stage version of Hamlet. Of course, this influence may have led the director towards a similar time period for the play as Branagh's film version of Hamlet. One can't really fathom why Noble descended on the Canadian version of Stratford, when he has helmed the ship of the original for over a decade, but whatever the reason, the Festival ‘across the pond' is most graciously thankful for the opportunity to work with Noble.

Throughout the performance, I still went back to the image at the start of the play with the ominous music and the upright light centre stage. The best Shakespearean production I saw was six years ago when Kenneth Branagh performed Richard III at the Crucible in Sheffield. The stage was virtually barren, the costumes effective but not distracting, and what was left was the most intense performance and Olympic level acting skills from every performer on that stage. If North American theatre could get back to this form of production and value on performance, the best would be yet to come.

If you love Hamlet, you would be willing to watch the play anywhere, and performed by anyone. I am of this persuasion. Wrap Dame Edna in men's clothing and call him Polonius, give the role of Ophelia to Britney Spears (pun intended), and the skull-in-hand to Mike Meyers and I'm still attending the show! The excitement of each rendition of Hamlet is what you take away anew from the same play seen over and over again each time. I am of a similar thought to Nietzsche's keen observation that Hamlet doesn't think too much, but rather, is a man who thinks too well. Therefore, I believe he inspires us all to do the same.