Director Iain Sinclair assembles an extraordinary cast for this engrossing staging of all time classic  play Hamlet at Melbourne Shakespeare Company. 

Housed in the atmospheric basement theatre space of fortyfivedownstairs, audience and players exist symbiotically, with the audience surrounding the central performance space and many of the actors beginning and ending in audience seats. The close quarters support natural vocal expression and close observation of subtleties of physical expression. 

Capitalising royally on this opportunity for engaging naturalism without the need for puffed-up projection is Jacob Collins-Levy in the title role. Showing not a trace of the incredible effort behind his epic role, Collins-Levy draws the audience ever inward, rewarding the close attention with myriad subtle details. Sinewy and raw, Collins-Levy is entirely believable as the desperately grieving prince, keeping the audience guessing as to where the pretence of madness ends and the true mania begins.

Favouring unaffected naturalism overall, director Sinclair stages Hamlet in the round, with perfectly fluid focus upon all sides. Mercifully avoiding the imposition of a high concept, the revered work is basically allowed to speak for itself. With a full-length running time of 195 minutes (including 15-minute interval), Sinclair allows the audience to revel in the full Hamlet experience, expertly performed by the luxuriously talented cast. 

Energy is well calibrated across the evening, with beautiful soliloquies balanced with heart stopping action scenes. The recreation of the death of the king by the travelling actors is chillingly impactful. Hamlet and Laertes’ climactic fencing occurs behind the bleachers, adding to the tension. The grave digger unloads two wheelbarrow loads of gravel onto the stage, creating a gritty percussion for the fierce final altercations.

Tait Adams provides modern day costumes without any particular nods to extremes of fashion. Having new regent Claudius in a business suit gives him the vibe of a king of industry, his wedding reception to his brother’s widow Gertrude having the vibe of a scene from Succession.  

The present day setting allows for the incorporation of smart phones, providing humour in their familiarity and eeriness in their ghostly lights. The opening moments of the play, performed in the near blackness of just one phone light, includes fiercely loud bangs and is genuinely frightening. When Hamlet ventures to see the Ghost for himself, his companions light the scene with their smart phones to further spooky effect. 

A key attraction of the season, Darren Gilshenan brings sparkling warmth and real humanity to Polonius, convincing as both a tender father and a driven power broker. Gilshenan makes a welcome contribution to the few moments of humour, drawing laughs with the impromptu recreation of Polonius’ triumph in Julius Caesar, hamming up the death scene with the pretence of bodily fluids flowing forth form every bodily orifice.

Peter Houghton and Natasha Herbert reign supreme as Claudius and Gertrude. Houghton colours the villain with unbridled power lust, broadening the scope of his portrayal when Claudius prays alone. Herbert tempers the queen with vulnerable undercurrents of sorrow.

Aisha Aidara as Ophelia and Laurence Boxhall as Laertes create a keen sibling bond that pays dividends when the pair intensely mourns their father, Polonius. Aidara vividly conveys Ophelia’s descent into madness. Boxhall exudes fierce emotion when Laertes returns, blazing with thirst for vengeance after his sister’s death. 

Christopher Stollery leaves the audience wanting more as the noble Ghost of King Hamlet. Darcy Kent provides a warm sense of sanity and comradeship as Horatio, devoted friend of Hamlet. Simon Maiden provides eleventh hour humour as the breezy grave digger, amusingly impervious to the solemn stakes at play.

Emmanuelle Mattana as Rosencrantz and Orion Carey-Clark as Guildenstern neatly distinguish the much loved pair, with Mattana imparting a nervousness to Rosencrantz to contrast with Carey-Clark’s focus on the game boldness of Guildenstern.

The rare opportunity to sit closely with a true classic performed by actors at their peak, this season of Hamlet is a gift to lovers of drama at its most compelling.

Hamlet plays at fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne until 22 September 2024. For tickets, click here.

Photos: Ben Andrews