Hamlet returns for a limited season
FOLLOWING rave reviews at the National Arts Festival and in Europe, Abrahamse and Meyer’s internationally acclaimed play, Hamlet, returns for a limited season.
This production is inspired by one of the earliest recorded performances of Hamlet that took place just off the East Coast of Africa, where the crew of the East India Ship, The Red Dragon, performed Hamlet on board.
According to Captain Keeling’s log entry, dated March 31, 1608, he wrote: “I invited Captain Hawkins to a fish dinner, and had Hamlet acted aboard, which I permit to keep my people from idleness and unlawful games or sleep.”
The cast comprises six actors as Jacobean sailors, with Marcel Meyer playing Hamlet.
And the set comprises a ship deck surrounded by 48m2 of water. Michael Richard takes on the role of King Claudius. Dean Balie doubles as Polonius and Horatio with Jeremy Richard as Laertes, Matthew Baldwin as Ophelia and Callum Tilbury in the role of Queen Gertrude.
Hamlet is directed by Fred Abrahamse. Abrahamse and Meyer Productions have produced some of the most successful Shakespeare productions in South Africa like Tragedy of
Richard III, a four-man Romeo and Juliet (2011) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2013) and Othello (2015 and 2016), which have been presented in 20 different seasons on two continents, three provinces, six cities and have proved immensely popular with the public, critics, teachers and learners and have collectively garnered 13 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award Nominations over the years.
Tonight, Theatre on the Bay’s first ever Cape Talk talk-back panel discussion will take place immediately after the first performance of Hamlet that will start earlier at 7.30pm.
The panel will be chaired by veteran Cape Talk presenter John Maytham, who trained as an actor and has been working in radio for more than twenty years. He will be joined by Fred Abrahamse, Marcel Meyer, Michael Richard and Dr Derrick Higginbotham from UCT. –