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Hamlet 3

Reviews:

Posted 14 May 2011

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare | Directed by David Ritchie

Harlos Productions | The Greek Theatre, Marrickville | Until 28 May

This clear, well staged production of Hamlet impressively delivers a masterclass in Shakespearean verse speaking. Harlos Productions make a welcome return to the Sydney stage with this most impressive rendering of the enigma that is Hamlet.

David Ritchie’s magnificent direction establishes intelligently and succinctly the key motifs in a play that raises more questions than it answers — how do we determine truth in an ambiguous world; is suicide a morally legitimate action in an unbearably painful world? Ritchie navigates the audience through these dilemmas and Hamlet’s bloody quest for justice and revenge.

The eight-strong cast tell the story with energy and skill, capturing the humanity, humour, pain and multi-layered complexity of a text which is rendered accessible to Gen Y.

Young Hamlet is alienated and adrift, in Denmark. He is subject to bouts of existential despair and depression.

Johann Walraven brings to the central role a sense of moody solitude and moral disgust and, most importantly, a sense of humour as he moves from existential depression to bouts of larrikin lunacy with a quicksilver quality.

Walraven artfully gives the impression of being an ordinary lad as he explores the natural everyman quality of this most revered role.

Dressed in his hoodie and ripped jeans he follows every shadow of contemplation and glimmer of passion in the soliloquies, which he delivers with a striking mix of intelligence and emotion. He is a fine talent and this is a magnificent performance.

Abigail Austin is touchingly bewildered as the fragile Ophelia hauntingly  entering the realms of insanity, and Frank McNamara, veteran actor of stage and screen, plays her father as he captures the humour and the interfering manipulation that is Polonius, a man out of time.

Brendon McDonall, sporting student scarves, plays the bespectacled Horatio as a geeky eternal student — brilliant but a bit batty.

Cat Martin is regal and serenely present as the graceful, charming but impassive Gertrude, a rather underwritten role in this production, and James Lugton as Claudius, lacked the cold, calculating aspect we have come to expect of the murderous King.

But that is a purely academic criticism, as nothing derogatory can be said of direction or performances.

Many of the cast perform multiple roles and mention must be made of the play-within-a-play, which was hilarious, with rampant theatricality which elicited the sharp shafts of Shakespeare’s wit.

Wade Doolan and  Andrew Johnson display superb comic timing as Rosencrantz and Guildernstern respectively.

The audience, mostly HSC students, remained rapt throughout the entire compelling and insightful performance. Thumbs Up!

To read online version click here.

Posted by Veronica Hannon | 16 May 2011

Not such a long time ago a veteran Australian actor declared that Shakespeare should be banned from our stages – for at least for 25 years. This got me thinking – if the Bard was banished could I see myself attending underground performances? Well, not for every play in the Canon, but I’m certain I’d suffer the slings and arrows for Hamlet.

Under the weight of it having being described as the “greatest play ever written” by the “greatest writer who ever lived”, it was good to stomp across the grounds of the former army barracks and be simply sucked in by the 400-year-old drama. It is a dense, inscrutable yarn and, with school audiences firmly in their sights, kudos to Harlos, because the actors get what it’s all about and they do a good job of letting everyone else in on it.

Make no mistake this production doesn’t have any of the “bells and whistles” of a main stage show; in fact it has a shoe-string budget, but it is an excellent Hamlet.

NIDA graduate Johann Walraven captures Hamlet’s intelligence, wit and quicksilver mood changes in a totally unselfconscious performance. He lacks a little weight and depth at present but I still thought I was witnessing a man trying to make sense of the political collapse of his country while undergoing his own psychological breakdown. Walraven also has great comic timing and you should laugh out loud in Hamlet because it’s a very funny play. I don’t know if I buy him as a Prince and heir to a throne but he certainly brings a sense of entitlement to the role and he’s young. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to watch a forty year old in the part, however brilliant they might be.

Under David Ritchie’s direction Walraven gets good support from the rest of the cast, most of whom are playing multiple roles. In particular, Abigail Austin makes a deeply poignant Ophelia and Frank McNamara is a scene-stealing Polonius.

This production’s positives are many: it's direct, clear, involving and the language sounds incredibly fresh. I really enjoyed myself.

Hamlet

The Greek Theatre, Addison Rd Centre, Marrickville

Until May 28

Bookings: www.harlosproductions.com.au