Hamlet

This production delivered all the emotions we associate with the Bard, from love and grief, to anger, deceit and death, as well as with a few smatterings of humour. Each of the thirteen talented actors were excellent with good pace of dialogue and characterisation. It was very well cast, and the directors had clearly worked hard with the actors to develop their relationships which were natural and very tight. Shakespeare is not easy, but Progress Theatre has developed a skill for producing excellent productions and this cast all looked to understand their individual characters and to be very comfortable with the words. The phrasing of the prose was very well done, flowing easily and organically throughout.

The adaptation by the director was concise and imaginative with the shortened story holding together cohesively. Whilst the adaptation missed out much of the political elements that give a more detailed background and explanation for the catalogue of deaths, the gist of the story was still there and as a production, it was gripping and engrossing. The production team had made the most of the Abbey Ruins, staging the play almost in the round seating the audience in a U-shape around the stage. This had the effect of drawing the audience into the action so that we felt included. It did however, mean that the actors often had their backs to one part of the audience so that on occasions some of the dialogue was a little quiet. Open-air theatre brings different challenges to those indoors meaning that the cast must work even more to project their voices effectively to all areas. The design of this production balanced evocative, yet simple staging with a steampunk aesthetic which gave a fresh and visual aspect to the themes of the play. The steampunk design was cleverly woven into the set pieces and costumes using cogs and clocks and opulent colours.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable production with excellent acting enhanced by the atmosphere of the abbey ruins.

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