(Rated 4/5 )
Please Note: If you want to skip the pre-show drama then please go
straight to 'AND FINALLY'
The drama around
booking, potentially unbooking and going to see or rapidly-limping a mile from
this highly unusual production of Hamlet,
was almost more dramatic than the play itself - though actually this was more
like a black farce than one of the greatest tragedies of all time. Loving Hamlet, I felt very excited at the
prospect of seeing something that was billed as a dreamlike meditation on it.
Of all the offerings from The World Shakespeare Festival, this was the one
which most appealed and I booked well in advance. So much so as not to know
what the unusual aspects entailed. As the friend who went with me later
commented, the least you expect from going to the theatre is to sit in a seat
for the performance and watch the actors in front of you on stage - that said
of course in Shakespeare's time those in the pit did not have that luxury.
Weeks later an email comes regarding seating for the performance. There is
none! In addition those who suffer from claustrophobia are advised to ring the
box office to discuss that. Yikes! I have suffered from that a couple of times
- on both occasions stuck in an MRI machine to analyse my hips - thank goodness
it was my hips and not higher up in my body - I think to have had my head in
that machine would have created a major claustrophobia-induced panic attack.
And so I rang - I explained that I fall (no pun intended) into both categories
- disabled and claustrophobic. So I got assigned a shooting stick - I explained
I have a walking seat and could bring that, but the reply was that no, I must
not do that and must use one the allocated sticks. Okay. So then I asked about
what might induce claustrophobia. It's explained to me that the production
takes place in a confined space, the auditorium is blacked out, with just a few
lights around the promenade by which the audience can see. OMG! I said I need
to think about whether I can manage all that and was told I can cancel the
booking if I do so by a certain date. My friend had previously thought it all
sounded exciting. So we discussed her maybe going with someone else if I
couldn't manage - meanwhile I swung from 'Oh yes I can do it' to 'How mad to put
myself through agony and potential panic attacks - possibly a trip to A&E -
for some poncy art'. We did even get to the point of giving up on it as I would
have had to go anyway to collect on my credit card... I phoned to cancel in
time and was told I could not as they have a no cancellation policy! A case of
different people saying different things. So friend and I resigned ourselves to
going and agreed that if I couldn't cope we'd just have a drink instead. As it
came closer to the time I wound myself up a little more and almost had panic
attacks thinking about what could possibly go wrong. The night before we
decided we should also book to eat before the show - last time at the
Riverside, the restaurant was packed. I rang to try to do so and, after getting
a bizarre noise on the phone twice before, managed to get through the third
time. Apparently the restaurant area was booked for an event, but if we wished
we could use the film cafe at the front of the building.
On the evening concerned, I met friend. She suggested we eat
somewhere else before we go to the Riverside. Thank goodness she did. We got to
Riverside Studios to find the film cafe was closed! Our response was humour at
this point. In fact so much so that I'd forgotten to be worried. Then the worry
was triggered again by the safety sheet we were given with out tickets - it
warned us again of what we were facing - standing in a confined space for 90
mins, nudity and a loud bang - leaving us to imagine all of all the possible
calamities that may get triggered as a result! After my palpitations at the
Donmar from the double dose of male nudity I was adding in yet another thing
that could send me to A&E. We came up with our own little strategy. If
either of us couldn't cope we'd leave but the other could stay if they were
enjoying it. And we'd text to let the other know whether we'd left and gone
home or were waiting out of the confined space.
It was almost time and we were called to Studio 2. We followed
directions, only to be told we were going the wrong way and had to go out of
the building and round the side to join a queue to go in. Again, I started to
imagine 'bad' reasons why there might be a queue!
AND FINALLY we were in the purpose-built confined-space set/theatre
for The Rest is Silence. It was quite
a large room in which we could all freely walk. Neither the 'lift-size' nor the
restricted-raised corridor-like promenade I had imagined/feared. So I felt no
danger from claustrophobia- or acrophobia-induced panic attacks. I tried out
sitting on the shooting stick - it seemed okay though a little hard to balance,
but using my own stick as well seemed okay. I felt as ready as I could be :).
Around us the walls appeared black. A circle of dim lights lit the room from
the ceiling. And then they went out. For a few seconds we were in pitch black -
'Keep breathing, it's all okay' self-talk - and then meditative music. I'm
okay! This is nice. A film on one wall of the death of Hamlet's father
(Thorston Manderlay). And then on comes light revealing a room built within
another wall - a bedroom - a naked Claudius (Phillip Edgerley) waking abruptly
after a nightmare. He dresses - that's the nudity done and I'm still okay. And
so the action carries on. We are introduced to Hamlet (Edward Hogg), Gertrude (Ruth
Lass), Ophelia (Bethan Cullinane), Polonius (Richard Clews) and Laertes (Ben
Ingles). In fact, in this version of the story, there are just two more
characters - the humour-providing Rosencrantz (Michael Bryher) and Guildenstern
(Stewart Heffernan) - to join the unmerry band. This is a much shortened
version of the play, and though all mixed up with dialogue from different
scenes put together in one, all the text used is from the original
Shakespeare's Hamlet. The action
takes place in different rooms built into the walls all around the main
auditorium. I was very impressed. It gives the feeling of all the characters
being restricted, confined, imprisoned by their beliefs, conceptions and lack
of trust in each other. It has the audience - who ironically in this situation,
and contrary to expectation, feel more free than the characters, questioning
all these things in themselves. In fact in some ways it did indeed - as
intended by the company dreamthinkspeak
- raise new perspectives and insights into the conflicts, feelings and themes
of the play. 'Get thee to a nunnery' now becomes a scene with Hamlet
challenging Ophelia and Gertrude - which makes sense psychologically - his
feelings and relationship with his mother impacting on that with Ophelia. 'To be
or not to be' becomes a meditation by the whole cast - done in staggered
unison; round. This and the rest of the production actually make it feel like
all the characters are equal in this piece. Hamlet isn't the lead role any
more. If anything I felt Claudius and Gertrude had more to do. And Rosencrantz
and Guildernstern also made a greater impression than in other productions I
have seen. The use of film as well - for R&G in a kind of life-raft out at
sea and Ophelia's drowning contributed beautifully to the whole feeling of the
piece. And I did feel even more at one with the actors watching them in their
personal spaces (living-rooms, bedrooms, offices) going through their traumas
and psychological journeys - just perspex between us. All were good. If anything
I found Hamlet himself slightly lacking BUT I have seen some absolutely superb
embodiments of him - most notable for me David Tennant - and with dialogue
taken away from him, in a sense he was somewhat disabled in potential.
The audience moved around a fair bit - I noticed like me - those
with shooting sticks were using them to lean on rather than sit on - they
didn't feel very stable! I stayed in the same general area. For the finale I
found myself in the front row centre. As the cast took their bows we applauded.
They were all smiles. I was absolutely beaming. Such a shared experience! And
that was acknowledged in a sense by them applauding us too. We'd done through
the trauma, drama, psychology of the play and been challenged psychologically
and physically too - what an achievement - and actually well worth it.
The Rest is Silence – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2012
Twitter: @RestrictReview
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