Some good things to say about Hamlet

Hamlet at the National Theatre

Before attending the National Theatre’s rendition of Hamlet, I was expecting a cold castle, dark stone set, and traditional   take on Hamlet. At first, I was put off by the modern aesthetic.  Initially from the costumes, I couldn’t tell if it was set in between 1960’s-90’s… unclear but I knew it was modern day. The set reminded me of Washington DC.

The costuming in camouflage and representations of violence within the government communicates the unrest  present in Hamlet calling upon the parallels of today’s terrorist sectarian disputes.

Hamlet depicted as an angst-ridden college student pretending to be insane to make room for him to put on the play that expresses his true crisis and results in a violent reaction by the audience. The play seemed to be self-conscious and self aware of its own slightly odd take on the traditional play.

Having read Hamlet recently, while looking out my train compartment window in Poland, I had a fittingly bleak but balanced impression of Shakespeare’s tragedy. The National’s interpretation was radical to be in the use of guns, and violent imagery. The use of video as a forum to express artificiality that is foreign relations. Claudius and Gertrude could have easily been any important political couple of the present who kept things hidden in plain view, did their video interviews and then showed their true feelings. The use of Security staff was also disturbing especially when Ophelia is taken in the night through a secret passage out of the set screaming.

Many people were not won over in the end by this modern rendition of Hamlet but for me, it was a journey and towards the end I understood that what I was seeing was innovation. I also realized that it didn’t mesh well particularly the dub -step music( I am biased. I detest it.) and strange frown smiley shirts were not in sync with the rest of the production. I will say this, I wouldn’t recommend this play to anyone who firstly hasn’t seen a presentation of Hamlet that is more succinct and skillful. Additionally, for my own part, I was far too long and even with my long attention span cultivated from years in the woods and my admiration of silent films, . I thought I was going to die at intermission.

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 Heather Purchase