Review: Hamlet

Numerous shows at this year’s Edinburgh Festivals place emphasis on the act of defiance, be that through storytelling, movement or their mere presence in the wider cultural landscape. Some tackle the volatile politics of the day, while others concern the power of revolution, rebellion and resistance, underlining how existence can be a radical act in and of itself. The latter applies to Peruvian theatre company Teatro La Plaza’s take on Hamlet, which reshapes Shakespeare’s classic text to place the stories of eight actors with Down's syndrome front and centre. 

With the ‘To Be or Not To Be’ monologue binding the narrative, director and writer Chela De Ferrari hones in on the essence of this question, forcing us to consider how people with disabilities are so often rendered outsiders in society. The actors perform scenes from Hamlet with humour, heart and passion, their own lives coalescing with the stories of the characters as they navigate what it means to take up space in an ableist world. 

Teatro La Plaza's Hamlet | Photo by Jess Shurte

Technically, Teatro La Plaza’s production is highly engaging, a giant screen at the back adding a multimedia element, where the English surtitles are projected and we see images of the actors at home rehearsing, as well as live footage from backstage. There’s also comical nods to Hamlets past, including Ian McKellen who dishes out advice over Skype to actor Jaime Cruz, and Laurence Olivier, whose filmed performance of the ‘To Be or Not To Be’ monologue appears on screen, the group using it as a jumping off point for a fiery rap. 

A key element of this production of Hamlet is the notion of community, and how this troupe of actors are so powerfully able to invite the audience, figuratively and quite literally, on stage to view the world from their eyes. It’s not Hamlet as we've seen it before, but instead it’s an interpretation that is full of joy, an important celebratory energy and some hard truths. 

Hamlet performed at The Lyceum (15-17 Aug) as part of the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival