Presented by The Raw Shakespeare Project
Reviewed 19 February 2017
It seems to me that if the company favours productions ‘on barren or raw stages’, as they tell us on their website, then the production needs to be meticulously directed, well-crafted and performed. Sadly, the lack of a set or sophisticated props and lighting, to help the audience to believe in or care about the characters, only served to highlight the deficiencies in this performance.
Director Russell Slater was a disappointing Claudius – where was his menace, his power? He is unapologetic about killing his brother and claiming the throne but Slater’s characterisation displayed little of this and his odd, at times almost staccato, diction and lack of projection further detracted from his performance.
The company is following an increasingly popular trend of a woman playing the lead, traditionally male, roles in Shakespeare; such as Harriet Walter playing Julius Caesar and Henry IV and Glenda Jackson, ending a 25 year absence from the stage in 2016, playing King Lear. While I strongly support the idea of giving female actors the opportunity to play the most powerful Shakespearean roles, this production did not appear fully committed to the transformation, as Hamlet was referred to as ‘she’ and ‘daughter’ but also as ‘My Lord’.
Hamlet, as played by Leah Anderson, had a very limited emotional range. Throughout the performance Anderson portrayed Hamlet as simultaneously on the verge of tears and about to explode with fury. Anderson spoke far too quickly and was hard to understand at times. Her costume changes also did not contribute to the characterisation of Hamlet as a woman. In contrast with Horatio who wore a dress throughout, Hamlet wore tight trousers with a strange variety of tops including a black corset – what this was meant to signify I do not know.
Far and away the best performance was by Aarod Vawser who played Laertes, Guildenstern and Player Villain. When, as Laertes, he hears of his sister’s death not only was he believable but the audience empathised with his grief and loss. He was a different person in his various roles, unlike others playing multiple roles who seemed to be the same person with merely a different costume and/or accent. He spoke clearly, projected well and the audience clearly appreciated his performance, as demonstrated in their applause when the director singled him out for thanks and congratulations as Vawser is about to embark on a drama course at Flinders University.
Reviewed by Jan Kershaw
Rating out of 5: 2
Season ended
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