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by William Shakespeare, directed by Joseph Ziegler

Soulpepper Theatre Company, Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto

August 18-October 1, 2005

Soulpepper’s production of Hamlet is an admirably straightforward, well-spoken, intentionally restrained production.  Albert Schultz is outstanding in the title role, but director Joseph Ziegler has sacrificed the play’s mystery and a sense of darkness for the sake of clarity of action.  

Under Ziegler all of Hamlet becomes a kind of play-within-a-play.  A two-step dais serves as a stage upon the stage.  Surrounding it are chairs where actors not involved in a scene watch their colleagues enact it on the dais.  This process places the action within a metatheatrical context appropriate for a play in which virtually every character spies on others.  It is also an alienation device forcing us to view the action rationally not emotionally. 

Schultz delivers Hamlet’s famous soliloquies with exquisite lucidity.  His is a rational, highly intellectual Hamlet, at no point mad.  Indeed, his ability to reason is exactly what checks his performing so savage an act as revenge.  William Webster is priceless as Polonius, a pedant so full of himself he can’t comprehend a direct insult.  Nancy Palk’s finely shaded portrait of a guilt-ridden Gertrude contrasts with Oliver Becker’s superficial Claudius.  Patricia Fagan’s Ophelia, whether sane or mad, changes little, while Seann Gallagher is a dull-edged Laertes.                 

©Christopher Hoile

Note: A version of this review appeared in Eye Weekly 2005-08-25.

Photo: Oliver Dennis and Albert Schultz. ©Sandy Nicholson.