Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review
Hamlet is all at sea in Rupert Goold's brilliantly realised striking new production of the Bard's great play.
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| Kel Matsena (Horatio), Luke Thallon (Hamlet). Photo by Marc Brenner. |
Goold sets his production all aboard a grand ship named Elsinore. The swirl of the sea is a constant presence that runs throughout the production as the tides of the characters actions eventually catch up with them. You can't help but feel mirrored to the Titanic, even to the point the show being set on April 14th 1912. The drama feels constantly heightened in this tense setting.
The date is flashed up as part of Akhila Krishnan's superb video design that helps move scenes to different parts of the ship. The boldest move of Goold's isn't the setting but the timeframe he puts the piece within. The drama plays out over hours rather than days, truncating the drama into this time frame may upset the purists but for me it really worked. The time flashes in up red text before scenes reminding us of where we are in this ever maddening night for the people on board.
Krishnan's video swirls as the waves crash in the background, paired with Es Devlin's ingenious set design which creates a ship that see-saws with movement adding some real drama to certain sequences including the dramatic final scene where characters are quite literally swept off to meet their doom. The drama of the set design alone is impressive but pairing it further with the atmosphere that Jack Knowles' lighting creates and you are gripped by this Netflix-esque thriller.
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| Luke Thallon (Hamlet) and the company of Hamlet. Photo by Marc Brenner. |
As if the visual design and the vision of the production is not enough then add in the truly magnificent company and this is one piece of unforgettable theatre. Luke Thallon steps in to the title role with a confidence that doesn't flounder. He has mastered the text and has clearly put great work and care into mastering the poetry and language of Shakespeare. His Hamlet dives deep into the grief that darkens his mind. Anton Lesser's Ghost constantly haunts his visions, this is made more so when Lesser's doubles up to play The Player King. Thallon's performance befits the legacy of the many Hamlet's who have appeared before him on the RSC stages. A performance that will be talked about for years.
Nia Towle's Ophelia is sweet natured in her pursuits of Hamlet, and her impassioned descent in the second act is really powerful to watch. Whilst Jared Harris builds superb as Claudius, it's only when he watches the players that the mask begins to slip. Nancy Carroll matches well as Gertrude, another who really shines in the second act as devastation begins to sweep all around. Elliot Levey's likeable Polonius is captured with charm and a glint in Levey's eye throughout.
This may be a production that will divide audiences, some will love the concept and be swept along by the epic drama of it all. I was captivated by Goold's vision and the unforgettable performance by Thallon.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hamlet plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company until Saturday 29th March 2025. The production tours to Truro, Bradford, Norwich, Nottingham, Blackpool, Newcastle, York and Canterbury. in 2026. For tickets and more information visit https://www.rsc.org.uk/
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| Lewis Shepherd (Laertes), Luke Thallon (Hamlet). Photo by Marc Brenner |
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