Trip to see ‘Hamlet’ in Shakespeare’s birthplace

By Eve C

On Thursday the 6th of March, the year 12 and 13 A Level English students (and a select group of enthusiastic Year 10s) journeyed to Stratford-Upon-Avon for a production of ‘Hamlet’, put on by the Royal Shakespeare company and featuring Luke Thallon as Hamlet and Jared Harris as Claudius. After a quick detour to Shakespeare’s house and a lovely lunch by the Avon River, we made our way into the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Upon entering and seeing the distinctly boat-shaped set, it became clear that the play is staged on a ship, with the ensemble dressed in naval uniforms and life jackets. This creative set design was utilised throughout the play: during the visitation by the spirit of his father and Hamlet’s confrontation with Claudius after his concealment of Polonius’ body, he descends to the ship’s groaning, smoky engine room. At times, the backdrop was a sophisticated party, with a live string trio playing onstage and the costumes changing from naval-wear to black-tie, Claudius’ office, the blue-lit setting of his prayer as Hamlet decided whether to kill him where he knelt. And, throughout all of this, the stage grew steeper and steeper as the steady boat that only rocked occasionally during the first half became a sinking ship: a symbol of the growing unrest between the family and the wider political turmoil. But the setting for most of the play’s emotionally charged moments was the deck of the boat itself; during the final duel, the gradient of the ship became so steep that the entire ensemble, the Queen and Laertes too, all slid down the deck and fell overboard, all within the span of a few minutes! In reality, they fell through a black curtain into the wings below the stage, but understanding the illusion didn’t make it any less frightening or impactful. The only characters who remained onstage at the end were Claudius, who was left slumped against the stairs coming out of the deck; Horatio, who cradled Hamlet as he succumbed to the poison, and Hamlet himself, who got up and walked to centre stage right at the end as the lighting turned white, and spread out his arms in acceptance before the stage went dark.

In Ms Wilkinson’s words, it was a more emotionally driven Hamlet than the usual depiction, which is a risk that we all unanimously agreed paid off! Many of us were more than teary by the end. Seeing the play in its intended form is hugely helpful in understanding Shakespeare’s intentions and the lines that carry more weight when spoken out loud, and seeing it in a more modern context goes to show the timelessness of Shakespeare’s writing. What an amazing production: 5 stars from the English students! A huge thank you to Ms McGovern for organising this trip, and to both Ms Wilkinson and Ms McGovern for taking us.