The Lowry, Salford – until 3 February 2018. Reviewed by Marcus Richardson
5*****
Hamlet, one of the most notable tragedies in not just theatrical but total history, the famous Shakespeare play is noted for its famous ‘To be, or not to be’ line. The just as famous Royal Shakespeare Company is known for giving a lot of the Bards play an exciting and modern feel to his plays whilst staying true to the text. Set with an indigenous African background whilst also set in Denmark.
The prestigious company never fails to live up to the name and always impresses the masses, the cast is the highlight of classical British theatrical talent and training, whilst finding the balance between relevant and engaging acting and the poetry that is Shakespeare. The main character of which the play is named, Hamlet (Paapa Essiedu) is a prince driven to forms of insanity after the death of his father. We follow his path of revenge and we see how people are manipulated though the new king, who is Hamlet’s uncle. The whole cast did not have a single mishap or any falters, this I can only expect from the company, we are given moments for ecstatic energy from job and comedy to the shocking moments that capture the tragedy to a t.
Rosencrantz (Romayne Andrews) and Guildenstern (Eleanor Wyld), the dynamic duo that are known throughout the theatrical world, the actors had such a good chemistry onstage capturing the true essence of friendship and friendliness.
The set and costume measures up to the cast, an impressive display of grand stage work. With costumes taking inspiration from African royalty, through this we are given this elegant, regal and aesthetic image throughout the whole entire show. Every since moment of the show a photo could be taken and you would have a poster material shot. What I found rather pleasing is that the actors weren’t confined to the stage and the whole venue became the performance space, this brings a whole new aspect and immersive show.
The show is a beautiful sad tale of revenge, the cast has total control and understanding of Shakespeare and this is the prime of classical acting in Britain, if not the world. This is one of the shows that I speak of living up to the bards name, the acting is done in a way that you don’t have to know Shakespeare to understand what is going on, this is the main thing that makes the play amazing.