Maureen Sullivan is a regular contributor to Island Echo’s coverage of the Arts on the Isle of Wight. Maureen has been actively involved in the Island’s amateur dramatics scene for several years, appearing in many different roles and guises with several theatre companies. In her free time, Maureen also writes and reviews at iwtheatre.org.
Catch Maureen’s column each month for the latest theatre and art happenings...
After selling out with a waiting list for their open-air performances in June, Ad Lib Theatre are bringing their production of Hamlet back for Round 2, at a brand new indoor Island venue.
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark…
The recently-widowed Queen Gertrude is marrying her dead husband’s brother, Claudius, while her son, Hamlet, looks on with melancholy, powerless – or so he thinks. The arrival of Hamlet’s best friend, Horatio, with news about his father, soon sets our prince on a journey of revenge, love, madness, piracy, betrayal and wonder, with far-reaching consequences for all.
Simon Lynch, Director of Hamlet, says:
“I have had so many people come to me and share that they ‘got it’. They thought that Hamlet, indeed Shakespeare, was inaccessible, but they were able to access and enjoy. This was one of my aims: for people to love Shakespeare as much as I do!”
“So much makes this production special, beyond the play itself: the chemistry of the cast, the sheer talent, and the strength of the cast’s performances – there are no insignificant roles. It is unfair to single out individuals, but Emily Scotcher’s turn as Hamlet is breath-taking; she is Hamlet, and her embodiment of the tragic Dane brings it to life – she is able to take the audience with her, they get what Hamlet is about.”
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Emily Scotcher, playing Hamlet, adds:
“Whether you saw the production in June or not, it’s worth getting a ticket for this reprise. The shift to an indoor venue has also added a new level of intimacy to some of the show’s most gut-wrenching, heart-stopping and intense moments…and there’s no risk of an impromptu soaking!”
“Hamlet is timeless, completely and utterly. It is a story about characters whose humanity is laid utterly bare, a tale in which there are no real heroes, and in which everyone makes mistakes. And it’s our privilege to be the storytellers, just one more time.”
Hamlet is playing at The Jenny Kerry Performing Arts Centre, Ryde School Campus, Queens Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 3BE, on Saturday 5th November, at 14:30 and 19:30.
Tickets are just £8 each, to honour our belief that Shakespeare should be accessible and enjoyable to everyone, and are available now from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ad-lib-theatre.
So bring your friends and family, pack your sense of humour and some tissues, and join Ad Lib theatre as they return – one last time – to the Court of Elsinore.
