Hamlet is easily one of the most recognisable plays in the English language, its cultural impact being so great that we endlessly quote the play without knowing it. By the time you’re an adult, you know this story, even if you don’t know you know. Because of this, making Hamlet novel and new can be a tricky task. Hamlet (an experience) does this by making it immersive. And it does this by using one of the best interactive performers alive today.
Emily Carding (Bridge Command, Return to Silent Hill) has spent a good chunk of their career bringing the bard to the masses in a novel and accessible way. Their work with Brite Theatre has included RICHARD III and TIMONOPOLY, audience participation-led shows that use a small audience and carefully designed prompts to immerse oneself in the story.
Hamlet an experience has a similar approach. The idea is that we, the audience, are players arriving at Elsinore, and Hamlet recruits us to either be regular audience members or, if we choose, actually part of the story. Carding hands out roles to volunteers, but these are designed in a way that even the shyest person can engage.
Hamlet is a difficult play in many ways; it has many moving parts and tonal shifts. Carding handles what is essentially a one-person show brilliantly, drawing you in and keeping you there. It’s only an hour long, but the time passes very quickly.
Carding leads the performance in what is essentially a one-person show with living props. They are spell-binding in the role, wrapping up the madness of their prince with the actor’s art. It’s incredibly immersive, more so if you participate. This is a way to ingest a classic in one big gulp. You come out with a fresh perspective on a story you may not have realised you understand so well.
Recommended.
Tickets for Hamlet (an experience) can be found here.~
