In a banner year for Hamlet, 3 South Asian actors take the lead

It's been a happening year for Hamlet.

In Toronto alone, at least three productions of Shakespeare's classic tragedy have played in 2024, including a dance adaptation of the play in April and a solo version of the work in May. 

Outside the GTA, dozens of theatre companies have answered the question of "to Hamlet, or not to Hamlet?" in the affirmative, creating a mosaic of wildly different interpretations of the play across Canada. 

Notably, many of the recent actors to step into the role of Hamlet in Canada have been of South Asian descent, presenting new possibilities for what Shakespeare can look like when updated for a modern audience.

"My Hamlet is going to be quite different from other Hamlets," said Khan in an interview. "Our production is really teasing out themes of grief, loss and mourning, as both the political and personal centrepieces of the characters. I'm not playing a superhero Hamlet; he's an ordinary guy who's trying to mourn his dad."

Akilla's Hamlet, too, centres grief, though it's surrounded by glitz. "It's grief in the midst of celebration," he said in an interview. "If you think about the Roaring '20s, we're looking at so many of the soldiers who came home after World War I, and we're now seeing them after having seen so much death and destruction around them. We're imagining Hamlet as one of those soldiers.

"On a very superficial level, it's just cool costumes," continued Akilla. "But on a deeper level, we're looking at incredibly high stakes while people are celebrating around Hamlet. It's a lot of fun as an actor."

In Vancouver, one of the draws of catching Hamlet is the ability to see the show with views of English Bay. According to Umar-Khitab, the outdoor nature of the production has created some memorable mid-show moments.

"Someone went by on a party boat, and they were aware that there was a Shakespeare festival happening," he recalled. "Someone from the boat yelled out, 'To be or not to be, am I right?' and it was amazing. Hamlet is one of the first things a lot of people think of when they think of Shakespeare. It's been the best to get to play him.

"So many people focus on his indecision," Umar-Khitab added, "but I don't want to watch someone not decide something for two hours. So we engaged with the character differently … He's sort of a Terminator Hamlet."

What's behind the Hamlet surge?

As to why 2024 has been such a banner year for Hamlet in Canada, these three members of the Tortured Princes Department have a few theories.

"I think after the pandemic, my friends and I are looking at the world and being like, 'What is this garbage we're inheriting?'" mused Khan. "Hamlet speaks to that. It's young people looking at their parents, who are pretending everything's normal when nothing's normal. That's so topical. And Hamlet is also a really fascinating character, because he's meant to be the protagonist of this play, but he also makes such deranged decisions. For me, it's morbidly fascinating to look at this guy, and be like, 'What is driving you?'"

According to Akilla, it's Shakespeare's language that keeps us coming back to Hamlet. "It's so universally truthful," he said. "It's the language that transcends time. It'll never get old, because it speaks so specifically to the human experience: grief, sadness, loss of life, family relationships. I mean, that's why Shakespeare endures in general — because of how truthful he is."

For Umar-Khitab, the enduring longevity of Hamlet comes from the play's vast history, one that predates even Shakespeare. "There was some original Hamlet [story] that came from Scandinavian oral traditions," he explained, "about an actual prince whose father was killed. Eventually it was adapted in Spain, and by the time it got to Shakespeare, it had already existed for quite a long time. The revenge tragedy genre was very popular. And the things Shakespeare added to it — really breaking down what we are as people and why we do the things we do — continue to speak to people."

Breaking barriers in onstage representation

Alongside Khan, Akilla and Umar-Khitab, Raoul Bhaneja, who played Hamlet at Soulpepper Theatre earlier this year, and film star Ahad Raza Mir, who stepped into the role in a Brampton production in 2023, are also of South Asian descent. 

Is it mere happenstance that the role of Hamlet has seen such strong representation from South Asian actors in Canada? Some say yes, while others think the uptick makes perfect sense.

"I think it's maybe a bit of a coincidence," said Akilla. "But it goes to show how much progress has been made in theatre, film and TV. We can see how much the needle has moved forward in terms of representation … I'd love to get to a point where, for instance, we can use my South Asian heritage as a jumping-off point to talk about other issues."

According to Umar-Khitab: "There are so many people who aren't interested in seeing the same Hamlet again. We've seen it so many times. We've seen so many straight white male Hamlets … it's time for something new."

This year, Khan has had the opportunity to play three meaty roles in Toronto: Eric Glass in The Inheritance, Tesman in Hedda Gabler and now the titular role in Hamlet. But the early characters of his career were "very different" from his recent starring roles, the actor told CBC Arts.

"I'm getting to drive action onstage in bigger parts, and that's really exciting," said Khan. "I mean, representation is the key to everything. If we want theatre to survive, it needs to reflect the city where it's happening. 

"I try not to think about representation too much, honestly," he continued. "I'm not sure what my body, my face and my name — all things that are distinctly South Asian — do for an audience watching the show. But I hope it doesn't matter. If there's a younger brown kid who wants to be an actor … at least they have an example of someone who's working and doing OK."