Royal Shakespeare Theatre, RSC, Stratford-Upon-Avon
1st April, 2016
A dark figure holding a skull, a
po-faced brooder – the iconic image has over time come to represent Hamlet the
character, Hamlet the play, and has even
been conflated with the Bard himself to become a symbol of Tragedy with a
capital T. Yet it is ironic that a play so complex, so slippery, so full of
paradox and ambiguity has come to be simplified by such singular visual
iconography. The many questions surrounding the drama and its protagonist - is
Hamlet really mad, or just playacting? Does he crave maternal love, or carnal
lust? Is he an eloquent wordsmith, or merely a pretentious prat? Is it even a
good example of tragedy in the traditional sense? – all point towards a play
which is unsure of itself, and this in turn poses the question - what are we as
an audience supposed to make of it?
It is upon these ambiguities that
Shakespeare’s play thrives and which cements its status as (arguably) the most
revered and famed of the Renaissance tragedies. Hamlet presents the opportunity for endless interpretation, psychoanalysis,
and academic speculation. It is our continual attempts to grasp and hold on to
this most evasive play that keeps us coming back for more, and this is why, 400
years after his death, Shakespeare – when done well – is the most exciting,
sumptuous and addictive playwright ever to come from Britain, if not the world.
Amongst the RSC’s year-long
anniversary celebrations is Simon Godwin’s fresh and vibrant production of Hamlet, presented with a beautifully
clear concept which ensures maximum impact. Paapa Essiedu stars as the RSC’s
first ever black Hamlet (this is shocking, I can’t fathom what took them so
long!) and his youthful energy breathes life into the character, making him
much more than philosophical mouthpiece.
Godwin begins the play with a
short but necessary prologue: we are introduced to Hamlet as he graduates from
the University of Wittenberg before an explosive paparazzi flash heralds the
death of old Hamlet and returns the Prince to his motherland. This device is
intrinsic in Godwin’s vision of youthful displacement – the return to the
familial home following the independence and educational enlightenment of
university is heightened by newfound feelings of alienation within the
homeland.
The resounding African drumbeats
of Sola Akingbola’s music emphasises the cultural heritage which pulsates
within Hamlet’s veins, despite his long absence. Furthermore, the appearance of
the Ghost (Ewart James Walters) in traditional dress stresses the importance of
national heritage which now rests upon young Hamlet’s shoulders. He is not only
the inheritor of his father’s title, but the inheritor of an entire nation: the
strain of responsibility is palpable.
Essiedu’s Hamlet is in limbo, no
longer a child but not yet mature enough to grasp the responsibility thrust
upon him as a graduate, as an heir, as an adult. The ‘undiscovered country’ of
the famous speech has particular resonance; Hamlet lies in the purgatory of
youth, the purgatory of a homeland he no longer recognises, thus the afterlife
and the unknown can’t help but weigh heavily on his mind. He unravels with
speed (literally – Essiedu is lithe and nimble, flitting around the stage with
manic energy). His crude drawings adorn the stage, garish war paint adorns his
body, an illustrative outlet for his frustrations and a physical manifestation
of his arrested development. This culminates in his revealing a tattoo of his
dead father etched across his chest – youthful transgression exemplified by the
definitive cliché.
Similarly, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern (James Cooney and Bethan Cullinane) are typical ‘gap year’ types,
complete with naive cultural appropriation as seen in their drug-fuelled
mimicking of the local dance. Even Laertes’ (Marcus Griffiths) subdued reaction
to his sister’s death points towards the widespread displacement of a
generation isolated from their origins and unsure of their place within a
disillusioned world.
However, Hamlet’s resultant
regression, like his revenge, is a hot mess as he strives to embody both child
and man. He treats sexuality with adolescent sniggering; his predatory
attention to Ophelia (Natalie Simpson) undermined by his physical distance from
her ‘c(o)untry matters’ during the play scene. His blasé reaction to gunning
down the obsequious Polonius (Cyril Nri) shows up his honest descent into
lunacy. The moment is played with a tone of hysteric humour, the murdered
Polonius becomes the eternal butt of the joke, a scapegoat within Hamlet’s
fantastic game. It is a credit to Essiedu’s charisma and immense watchability
that the character remains empathetic - I’ve always advocated the benefits of a
young, age-appropriate Hamlet, and this performance proves it.
Rounding off a great cast, Tanya
Moodie’s Gertrude embodies a feline physicality, stalking across the stage she
shows little of the submissive vulnerability often reserved for the mother. Along
with Clarence Smith’s Claudius they represent the modern power couple, and it
is fitting that in this production Gertrude refuses to die without a fight.
Godwin’s production is colourful,
refreshing and resolute (positively lacking the wishy-washy hero-worshipping of
Lindsay Turner’s production last year). As a young person I feel it resonates
with a generation – my generation - where children are forced to grow up too
soon, and many young adults are trapped in a form of post-educational
purgatory. As attested by the 400th Anniversary promotional material
and merchandise, this production proves that, in the words of Ben Jonson,
Shakespeare ‘was not of an age, but for all time’.
Hamlet plays at
the Royal Shakespeare Theatre until 13th August 2016
Credit: Manuel Harlan
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