The Troubador playhouse has become known over the years for presenting compelling interpretations of Shakespeare’s classic works. This same quality is also present in the current season’s presentation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, directed by rising young talent Imran Hussein, which debuted last Friday.
Hosein remains faithful to the traditional work. He emphasizes Hamlet’s existential trauma, as well as the political intrigues that give the narrative its shape. The way Hosein balances this key conflict of the play is crucial to the success of this performance. All these conflicts take place within a very traditional setting, as the costumography and setting, a darkly lit stage resembling the inner chambers of an ancient castle, transport the audience into the time period which Shakespeare himself set for the play: middle age Denmark.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Hamlet Play Review".
Hamlet, effectively portrayed by young talent Sam Seamster, is demonstrated in all his existential angst. The death of his father has pushed him to the edge: learning of the plot that has taken his father’s life leaves him balancing between rage and despair. All these emotions are brilliantly communicated by young Seamster. At the same time, Hosein stresses the political conflict at the heart of Shakespeare’s immortal work and this is efficiently accomplished with all his directorial decisions. Hamlet’s quest for vengeance is therefore defined by the intrigue of power relations, the attempt to avenge his father’s death coming across as a commentary on the brutal nature of political life, effectively conveyed by Hosein’s detailed direction.
If someone wishes to understand why Shakespeare’s Hamlet is timeless, one only has to go to the Troubador theatre to catch their latest interpretation. The political and existential conflicts demonstrate the way in which Shakespeare links individual and personal traumas to larger socio-political events. The central conflicts and characters are maintained, introducing the viewer who may not be familiar with Shakespeare’s classic to a version of the play that does not deviate from tradition. Hosein has succeeded with an ambitious yet faithful rendition of this classic.
