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Alan Mahon as the Prince of Denmark with the skull of poor Yorrick. Pictures: Mark Youet Hamlet
Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory Company
Derby Theatre
**** THERE can be no more apposite piece for
Behind the Arras to review than Hamlet! Most would have it
amongst the finest plays ever written, it is certainly the play about
which most has been written. Yet although its reputation helps any production,
it does have a significant downside. It is about the most widely read
play. That means that almost all of an audience will have read the play
first, and all will have their own idea about what Hamlet, the character
should be, creating an almost impossible task for the actor charged with
the title role. Co-produced by Shakespeare at the Tobacco Facto Director Andrew Hilton has assembled a very
strong cast. Paul Currier is superb as King Claudius, commanding the
stage whenever he appears, Julia Hills, equally convincing as his Queen,
particularly in her scenes with Hamlet. Ian Barritt’s Polonius is avuncular, his advice
timeless, his unfortunate demise, behind the arras, still shocks.
Isabella Marshall’s Ophelia is a madcap, barefoot delight. Her manic
screaming and singing unsettles and engages in equal measure.
Alan Mahon is a fresh faced, youthful, Prince.
Initially he adopts the demeanour of a whiny, spoilt, teenager, before
developing into a disturbed, bereaved schemer. He handles the
soliloquies well, and shows a light touch in the Gravedigger scene,
avoiding the schmaltzy cliché which can surround the “Alas, poor Yorrick”
skull speech. Yet his realization of the character feels
strangely detached, we aren’t cheering for him to put right the wrongs. The language, rhythm and metre of the script are
exceptionally brought to life by the cast who remind us of so many
familiar phrases and beautiful sequences as the production proceeds. It
succeeds in being sufficiently familiar to please purists, while being
sufficiently accessible to appeal to first time theatre goers. As such
it is open to the charge that it lacks distinctiveness, but to his
credit, Hilton’s focus is on individual performances and the script,
rather than attention grabbing diversions. It works well. I did reflect that if Quentin Tarantino had
written the blood soaked finale, critics would be railing against its
excess. The duel between Hamlet and Laertes is compelling and gripping,
a tribute to fight co-ordinator/director John Sandeman. Too often staged
fights can feel artificial and lame, in this, they looked as though they
meant it, the cloak usage significantly adding to the drama of the
event. A fine production, and
fitting 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death tribute, the company
are also playing All’s Well That Ends
Well in alternate performances on tour,
which finishes in Derby on Saturday 28th May, but continues nationwide
until 18th June. Gary Longden 27-05-16
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and Tobacco Factory Theatres, the action unfolds in front of a grimy
single set castle interior, with colour coming from convincing
Elizabethan costuming, both created by Max Johns.