Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Masterpiece ‘Hamlet’ production at Artscape
THEATRE lovers and matrics have one last chance to see Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer’s internationally acclaimed Hamlet at the Artscape Theatre in April, before the production transfers to the original setting of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, Demark.
Since 1816, Kronborg Castle has been home to the world’s oldest continuous Shakespeare Festival. Some of the world’s greatest actors have played Shakespeare’s moody, Danish prince at the Castle. Now Meyer will join this illustrious list.
The Abrahamse and Meyer production of Hamlet premiered at the 2015 National Arts Festival and has since played to rave reviews and standing ovations across Europe, South Africa and the US.
Critics have praised the production as a “tour de force” and “a masterpiece” while the critic for The Huffington Post in America stated: “I thought I had seen a decent Hamlet before, but Abrahamse and Meyer Production’s Hamlet made my other viewing experience seem amateur by comparison. The excellent performances, innovative interpretations of the text, and bold design choices all came together to create a transcendent production that I will not soon forget.”
Hamlet features direction and set design by Shakespearean director Abrahamse, lighting by Faheem Bardien, costumes by Meyer and an original score by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder.
Joining Meyer in the cast are original company members Matthew Baldwin (Ophelia and Guildenstern) and Jeremy Richard (Laertes and Rosencrantz). This year Graham Hopkins (Claudius), Rob van Vuuren (Horatio and Polonius) and Tailyn Ramsamy (Gertrude) join the company.
Veteran actor, Graham Hopkins, was last seen in the city as Martin Dysart in Peter Shaffer’s Equus for which he received a Fleur du Cap Best Actor nomination.
The production runs at Artscape from April 1. All tickets cost R80 and can be booked through Computicket or Artscape-Dial-A-Seat.