Hamlet at the Minack Theatre
★★★
Shakespeare overlooking the Cornish coast… a wonderfully unique experience provided by the Minack Theatre and Winchester Players. The humorous yet at its heart dark play, Hamlet, is set against a backdrop of rolling waves and a breathtaking sunset as the light dims to black, so too does the play's dark undertone become clear as the audience tensely watch against an almost vanished backdrop the final moments of Hamlet’s life also fade into black.
Unfortunately, this theatre is mainly accessible by stairs and one ramp to the dedicated wheelchair seating, so it is not the most accessible of venues. I struggled with the steepness of the stairs and the lack of assigned seating, causing me to worry about a potential rush of people as everyone for all seating areas is let in simultaneously. This might be worth bearing in mind when attending the venue and seeing if a member of staff can radio ahead for you to be let in early to get to seating without a rush of people behind you… in my case, this was not possible due to my only asking minutes before they decided to let everyone in.
*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*
Content Warnings:
The theatre did not have any content warnings displayed, but these are potential warnings that I made note of:
Murder by Various Methods
Poisoning
Stabbing
Themes of Death and the Afterlife
Themes of Betrayal
Themes of Revenge
Depictions of Mental Illness
Depictions of Madness
Depictions of Grief
Depictions of Ghosts
Suicide by means of drowning
Virtue of a woman is called into question
My Review:
When I heard about a theatre overlooking the ocean whilst on holiday in Cornwall, I knew I had to go, and since seeing Jamie Lloyd’s take on Romeo & Juliet, I have slowly been seeing more Shakespeare, now added to by the Winchester Players' production of Hamlet. Going in without prior information is always a slightly bad choice for me when watching Shakespeare, as I spend more of my time trying to understand and decipher the language than I get to spend being immersed in the show. It certainly was strange, but weirdly familiar to see Shakespeare modernised yet again. However, there were moments when the modernisation felt too stark and almost disconnected from the original text, such as when Hamlet appeared barefoot in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt as his descent into madness became more visible to those around him.
The use of lighting, both natural and artificial, was wonderful to see as they complemented each other to light the stage so that the performance was visible to the audience but never overpowered by the lighting. The use of the available space and stage was well-considered and effective when contributing to the overall production. I also thought that the use of water throughout the show felt more effective due to being set against a backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean, and it further brought the surrounding environment into the show, increasing the immersion and highlighting the unique charm that this theatre has to offer.
Thomas Yarrow leads the production as the title character, Hamlet, brilliantly encapsulating his descent into madness from the calm and collected royal that we see as the start of the production to the revenge-driven murderer that closes the play. Playing his adversary is Simon Roberts Claudius, King of Denmark. He was enigmatic in the role, capturing the cool, calculating and manipulative nature of the King as he grasps onto his power. The love interest of Hamlet, Ophelia, was portrayed by Olivia Webb, who was a joy to watch in this role and her change in portrayal from the loveblind, naive maiden we meet at the start of the show to her untimely end after her own descent into grief and madness. Aiding the King in his monitoring of Hamlet as he begins to suspect the King is the King's Counsellor, Polonius, portrayed by Simon Taylor. He was enjoyable to watch in this role as he interacted with the various characters of the show, and his own desire to protect his daughter from Hamlet’s descent into madness was well-portrayed throughout, with his motives being clear and justified. Upon the outcome of Polonius’ assistance to the King, Laertes (Paddy Echlin), the son of Polonius, enters and seeks satisfaction for the fate of his father and later his sister due to the actions of the King and his own fear of discovery. His emotions regarding the outcomes of the play were powerfully portrayed, and I, as an audience member, felt myself empathising with the utter despair and anger that he felt regarding his family's misfortune. Queen Gertrude was brought to life in this performance by Samantha Boffin, and it was wonderful to see her inner turmoil presented to the audience as she handles the outcomes of her choices, as well as balancing her love for her son and for her King. Her presentation of the inner turmoil made her end in the play all the more powerful, as the audience was able to understand why she made the choices she made and the emotions that she was feeling in her final moments. Various other members of the Winchester Players played multiple roles, and these members of the company were Jonny Taylor, John Posnett, Harry de Moraville, David Baldwin, Peter Broad, Cléo Quesne and Michael Neckham. They were all a joy to watch on stage, and the uniqueness that they brought to each of their respective characters was fabulous and added another dimension to the show, further bringing the story to life.
Should you ever be in the position to see a show at the Minack Theatre, I would highly recommend it as it was such a unique and wonderful experience.
Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)
- AnxiousTheatregoer
