Hamlet

Published Thursday 27 March 2008 at 12:40 by Jeremy Brien

Sir Jonathan Miller has an innate belief in the value of small theatrical spaces rather than great caverns, so he qualifies as the ideal choice for Shakespeare at The Tobacco Factory’s first guest director in its roller coaster nine-year existence.

Any company’s first Hamlet is, of course, an iconic moment, which helps explain the hiring of a big beast director to guide the 18 players through this most complex of works. But whatever the reason, there is no doubt that the combination has been box office magic with an extra week added to the run almost as soon as bookings opened.

Charles Lamb felt there was little of us all in Hamlet, and certainly Jamie Ballard offers a man stripped down to the primitive essentials, whose zest for life is matched only by his bewilderment at its difficulties. We can all feel his turmoil and suffering over the untimely death of his father, and the only facet he misses is in living up to Fortinbras’ concluding verdict that he would have “proved most royally”.

Altogether this is a stunning production that again displays SATTF’s hallmark ensemble work. Jay Villiers and Francesca Ryan make the carnal Claudius and incestuous Gertrude more vulnerable than is sometimes the case, Annabel Scholey is deeply moving and wholly authentic in Ophelia’s mad scene, Roland Oliver lends the over-zealous Polonius a dignity more likeable than laughable and Philip Buck’s calm Horatio is the perfect foil to the brooding menace in Ballard’s Hamlet.