HAMLET till 6 May

HAMLET: William Shakespeare
RST: Swan Theatre
Baxter Theatre – as Part of the Complete Works Festival
0870 609 1110
www.rsccompleteworks.co.uk

Runs: 3h 20m, one interval: ends 6 May
Review: Rod Dungate, 3 May 2006-05-04

The performances at the RSC are dedicated to Brett Goldin, who played Guildenstern in the Cape Town performances; he was tragically murdered on Easter Sunday.

Moving, thrilling, stunning.
Baxter Theatre, from South Africa, honour us with this production. Clear, uncluttered, relying on highest quality acting, it’s a moving and thrilling insight into the play. The high passion of the drama is magnified in the intimate Swan space increasing the pleasure.

Vaneshran Arumugam is a quite magnificent Hamlet. In the opening scenes he is distanced, withdrawn, underpowered. So much so, you wonder what’s going on. He doesn’t allow us in. Then, as the drama unfolds, so he winds up; as he becomes angrier so he becomes more vulnerable. This muscular and physical actor becomes bigger, embracing us in his frustration. His physicality is conscious but never self-conscious; it’s wonderfully contained and poised. The Hamlet tellingly interrupts his Tai Chi to ponder the question – to be or not to be? I swear there were often real sparks flying around the acting space.

Dorothy ann Gould’s Gertrude is really something, too. As the newly-married Gertrude she is truly beautiful; she smiles, waves, draws people to her. But within this generous exterior beats a woman of great passion. Her ‘bedchamber’ scene with Hamlet is staggering. Gould seems to be able to create a character on many layers simultaneously – in love, angry, a woman lost, a woman bereft, all flash in front of us.

The interval is late in this production – separating Hamlet leaving for England and his return. But it’s right; the break brings clarity – the problem, the resolution. And what a change is wrought in Gertrude; Gould ages her about 15 years from one part to the second. We can’t see how she does it, but we feel it clearly enough.

There is all round strong casting. Among them is a very statesmanlike Claudius from John Kani. We can’t really imagine him killing his brother – and he’s all the more effective for that. Royston Stoffels creates a perfect balance between pomposity and comedy with Polonius – and provides a clever double with the Gravedigger. And Roshina Ratnam creates an Ophelia we like and will remember – young, naïve, modern.

Director is Janet Suzman; and the job she’s done is, well, splendid.

Claudius: John Kani
Gertrude: Dorothy ann Gould
Hamlet: Vaneshran Arumugam
Polonius/ Gravedigger: Royston Stoffels
Ophelia: Roshina Ratnam
Laertes/ Player: Clyde Berning
Horatio: Adam Neill
Rosencrantz: Marcel Meyer
Guildenstern: Nicholas Pauling
Osric/ Marcellus/ Player Queen: Tauriq Jenkins
Fortinbras/ Lucianus: Mbulelo Grootboom
Reynaldo/ Player King/ Bernardo: Adrian Collins
Attendant: Johan Baird
Attendant: Sonnyboy Setlhako

Directed by: Janet Suzman
Set and Costumes Designed by: Peter Cazalet
Lighting Designed by: Mannie Manim
Assistant to the Director: Amy Bonsaull
Fight Choreographer: Christopher Kindo
Dialogue Coach (Hamlet): Lesley Manim

2006-05-04 20:02:50