By Richard Hollingum
A
performance group described by Radio 4's Today programme as "sick"
and who chose to have that very comment written large on the front
of their programme - they had to be worth seeing.
Hamlet
by 1157performancegroup was an exploration into some of the facets
of the Bard's play.
Subtitled
"The Rest is Silence", the performance opens up issues
of death and madness. Actually, to be more particular, the exploration
was about the aftermath of death, the grieving period and its effect
on those close to the deceased.
The
small trio of performers - Matthew Scott, Kate Hargreaves and a
very young Rosie Scott - read, acted and moved around a simple set,
the significant part of which were screens and television monitors.
This
was truly a curate's egg. There were scenes that made a great impression,
such as the depiction of Ophelia's descent into madness; there were
scenes that dragged on too long; there were scenes that did not
fit in at all.
However,
as an exploration of some of the major themes encapsulated in Hamlet,
this worked well.
Companies
like 1157performancegroup will always invite criticism, loud and
free, but it is important that they carry out the work that they
do - extending the boundaries of dramatic art and giving the audience
much to think about and discuss.
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