New production of Hamlet rages against a sea of troubles
Hamlet is one of the great enigmas of literature, a character whose many different sides have enabled a vast range of portrayals.
Perhaps, though, he is most regularly cast as a procrastinator, one who, though often evincing a manic energy, is unable to channel it sustainably towards the goal of vengeance he sets himself.
But the production by Icarus Theatre Collective that will soon be touring Ireland has a somewhat different take on Hamlet’s dilemma. For director Max Lewendel, it’s not so much a question of Hamlet’s delay, as of Hamlet being thwarted, of things getting in his way.
“Ive seen a lot of productions of Hamlet,” says the American director, “that have this very still, slow, deliberate kind of monotonous drone, focusing on melancholy as depression. I think that’s an overly simplistic view of what depression is.
"It can be violent and aggressive and kinetic. So when I first read the play I saw it like there was this firestorm in Hamlet’s head bursting to get out.
“And so at the beginning we see him more sombre, but as soon as he sees the ghost of his father, this is like someone whose apathy completely lifts and is full of energy. He’s like someone who ends up at the top of a bridge screaming he’s going to jump.
"Or maybe at the top of a bell tower with an assault rifle. And that’s our Hamlet, really on the edge, desperately trying to take any action to fix what’s going on in his head. It’s a more dynamic view of what Hamlet is going through.”
It’s an approach in keeping with what Lewendel defines as the “kinetic” style of his company, which he founded in 2003 after graduating from the Illinois Wesleyan School of Theatre Arts. He jokes that the reason he founded a company in the UK can be boiled down to two words — “George Bush” — before expanding on the theme.
“The society and the culture in the States, I didn’t feel comfortable there. I came to the UK and I felt I connected with the people here more. I felt this is where I wanted to make theatre.” We don’t mention the 45th president.
Lewendel stresses the titular “collective” of his company’s name, saying it describes their collaborative approach. “Everyone’s ideas are valid,” he says.
“Obviously there has to be a director there at the end to make the final decisions and to ensure we are all telling the same story, but we like to bring in the actors’ ideas; the designers have a lot of creative input too, and people at any level in the company can pitch ideas for us to produce.”
Icarus first produced Hamlet in 2010. It has, says Lewendel, grown a lot since then. “It’s more thought-through now, we’re achieving a lot more with it, making the story a lot clearer, making the fights a lot bigger and getting a group that works together really well.”
It is perhaps the kinetic aggression Lewendel describes that has had his version touted as a Hamlet for the Game of Thrones generation. But rather than just a marketing wheeze, it’s a characterisation Lewendel is happy to accept for his fast-moving other-worldly production. “All that’s missing is the nudity and dragons,” he says.
Such springtime productions of Shakespeare are usually timed to coincide, of course, with the needs of secondary-school students. It’s an offering that has improved in quality over the years, with productions worthy of a general audience now being the rule rather than the exception.
Lewendel admits his approach is a “fresh” one that might suit a younger audience. “It really makes the original verse clear to a contemporary audience,” he says. “Yet I’m constantly surprised by the age range that comes to see our shows.
"I’ve tried not to judge what shows are better for what audiences, particularly our Shakespeare. It’s had such a broad appeal. Since we tell the story visually, the audiences who aren’t really familiar with the verse do understand it, but those who want nuance seem to enjoy it too.”
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