Hamlet - Bristol Old Vic ★★★★★

Watching Shakespeare done badly can feel like a worthy plod. Not so John Haidar‘s production of Hamlet at the Bristol Old Vic. It is far more like a claustrophobic thriller, filled with pace and intrigue. Although purist might gripe about cutting the Bard’s text, excising over an hour of the traditional running time serves to focus the attention on the action and loses little of importance.

Set in a monochromatic Elsinore, Alex Eales‘ rotating set evokes a stark, gothic gloom and reveals Escher-like staircases and dark pockets where shifting loyalties and paranoia can foment. A sepulchral playground for shadows and spectres.

There is something refreshingly different and contemporary about Billy Howle‘s portrayal of Hamlet. The risk of the role is that the Danish Prince can be infuriatingly insipid in his indecision. You can get bogged down with his endless introspection. Howle, a charismatic actor at the best of times, is positively crackling with energy as Hamlet. He is boisterous and robust, externalising his growing torment. His “inky cloak” is replaced by a black leather jacket with a T-shirt showing the artwork of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasure artwork. A perfect modern equivalent of “the trappings and the suits of woe”.

There’s an urgency in his delivery, indicative of the Prince reaching an emotional tipping point of his rage. Faced with the “To be or not to be” monologue, Howle picks words out of the air with his hands. This adds a spontaneity to the world’s most famous passage of dialogue. Rather than melancholy feeding indecision, Howle’s Hamlet is haunted and tormented, overwhelmed by too many possible actions. His mercurial behaviour frequently tips into instability, giving the character a genuine sense of danger

Finbar Lynch is a quieter, colder Claudius. His steely self-control stands in stark contrast to his nephew’s emotional overspill. There is something deeply unsettling about his icy detachment underpinning his ruthlessness. Niamh Cusack imbues Gertrude with warmth and compassion. The bedroom scene where Hamlet confronts her is a standout. Howle and Cusack alternating between tenderness and recriminations has an unpredictable fluidity with two great actors playing every colour of their fractured relationship.

It’s no exaggeration to say Jason Barnett is the best Polonius that The Recs has seen. As Claudius’ chief advisor, he excels at the slippery art of politicking. What makes Barnett’s performance stand out is that he is so funny. Not Shakespeare “funny”. Actual hilarious funny. With superb characterisation and impeccable comic timing, his performance adds some much needed chiaroscuro to the piece.

Director John Haidar is bold enough to play around with the text. The interval comes earlier than usual with a striking reimagining of Claudius’ prayer scene that is more Tarantino than the Bard of Avon. The surprise provides enough of a jolt to justify it. Likewise, later, Polonius is no longer stabbed behind the curtain by a sword. Hamlet shoots him in a closet with a mirrored door, the cracks in the glass spidering out from the bullet hole. It’s high-octane moments like this that helps make this production feel so vivid without straining to be contemporary.

There is a trippingly-fast pace throughout which seems to accelerate in the second half towards its tragic conclusion. This breathless tempo lends the events a wild momentum and for once Elsinore feels resonant of a state collapsing as one bad decision follows quickly on from the last. Who says a play over 400 hundred years old can’t be relevant to now?

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Praise should be given to the live stream of this production. Having started streaming during the pandemic, Bristol Old Vic have invested in state-of-the-art cinematic technology. Gone are the days where theatre streaming was one fixed camera somewhere in the stalls. The live stream delivered a top-notch experience of this live production – so much so we found ourselves applauding at the end! This kind of live streaming is an excellent way for theatres to reach wider audiences and for audiences across the globe to experience some world-class performances. More please!