Hamlet a vibrant, compelling take on a 400-year-old play

Last August, tickets went on sale for a play at London's Barbican Centre. Seats for the 12-week run of the production — which hasn't even opened yet — sold out within hours, leading some to call it "the most in-demand theatre production of all time."

Never mind that the play is more than 400 years old.

This was, of course, the upcoming production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. And all of this is to say there's still certainly an interest in seeing the famous tragedy. But with that demand comes high expectations for the handling of what some would call the greatest work of drama in history, and certainly among the most performed.

So if you're going to take it on, you'd better get it right.

What relief for all concerned, then, that a new production from Winnipeg indie companies Bravura Theatre and Snakeskin Jacket does justice to Shakespeare's tale of a young prince who seeks to avenge his father's death — and grapples with his own place in the universe at the same time.

Understated, intimate production

Brazilian-Canadian Rodrigo Beilfuss takes on both co-production duties and the role of the prince of Denmark here. His Hamlet is youthful, brash and passionate — sometimes perhaps too much so, as his more violent outbursts occasionally feel oversized in what is otherwise an understated, intimate production.

But his commitment to the role can't be faulted, and there's tremendous beauty in many of his quieter moments. A wordless interscene between Hamlet and Ophelia (Dorothy Carroll), for example, achingly plays out their troubled relationship. 

Hamlet's sense of betrayal when he confronts his supposed friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (beautifully played by Andrew Cecon and Ian Bastin) is palpable and sad.

He likewise handles the daunting soliloquies — some of the most famous lines in dramatic literature — delicately and confidently.

Superb supporting cast

He's backed by some marvellous performances in the 13-member supporting cast. In one of director Sarah Constible's bolder moves, the meddlesome advisor Polonius is re-cast as a woman, and played with more charm than is usual for the character by Michelle Boulet. 

It's an inspired choice that takes the character from a prattling fool to a fussing, helicopter-ish mother — but a more fully dimensional, and far more interesting character than expected.

Ivan Henwood deftly steers the murderous King Claudius out of stock villain territory, giving him a cool, restrained intelligence and menace. Chris Sabel makes the often thankless character of Hamlet's stolid friend Horatio fascinating, with a subtle but convincing performance that clearly conveys his devotion to the prince, but also the wisdom that makes Hamlet trust him so.

Dorothy Carroll gives Ophelia more mettle than is common in the character, but also delivers her breakdown convincingly. CindyMarie Small plays Gertrude with a suitably regal bearing. And Tristan Carlucci and Colin Connor bring nice comic relief in several small roles, most notably the gravediggers.

Constible's production pares the play down to its bare elements. It's a Fringe-style approach (complete with a stuffy venue on opening night, thanks to misbehaving air conditioning), using virtually no set, and moving briskly from scene to scene, even shepherding the audience efficiently between two playing spaces. 

It's smartly paced, and its 150 minute (with intermission) running time feels like it moves engagingly and energetically, thanks to Constible's sure-footed direction and a judicious script edit by Beilfuss.

Portuguese, Italian, French sprinkled in

The production's most notable deviation from Shakespeare's script is a sprinkling of several languages throughout. Much of the dialogue between Hamlet and the ghost of his father (playing with chilling effectiveness by Brazilian ex-pat Rafael Ferrao) is delivered in Portuguese, for example. As Ophelia slips into madness, her language mixes in more French, while the visiting players use Italian as their native tongue.

The stated intent seems to be underlining the universality of Shakespeare, though it doesn't always quite work in practice — not so much because we don't understand what's going on, but because the dramatic reasoning for the linguistic morphing isn't always entirely clear.

That's a small qualm, though. As a whole, this is a production that takes on one of the most challenging works ever written, and delivers a consistently compelling and vibrant telling of a well-known tale.

Not bad at all for a 400-and-some-year-old.

Hamlet runs at Studio 320 (70 Albert St.) until May 3.