REVIEW – HAMLET
Image: Photo: Brett Boardman
Shakespeare’s tragedies are vehicles for artists to express the extremities of human emotion and inconceivable psychological torment. When created well, staging a play like Hamlet will allow for the most outlandish and ostentatious of acting styles.
In Belvoir’s production, Toby Schmitz pushes his portrayal of Hamlet over the edge of sanity, giving audiences one of the year’s most memorable theatrical performances. It is a delicious execution and the actor is magnetically powerful, whilst being controlled and considered. Schmitz is as intelligent as he is artistic, and the combination is lethal.
Director Simon Stone displays not just originality and ingenuity, but also a keen sense of playfulness. His Hamlet is surprising, intriguing and taut, showcasing some of the best theatre practitioners and their impressive dedication to the art form.
Filling every moment with wonder and tension, what the two have created here is courageous and exhilarating theatre; Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. (SW)
Until Dec 1, Belvoir St Theatre, 18 & 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills, $29-65, 9699 3444, belvoir.com.au
BY SUZY WRONG
