REVIEW: "Hamlet" at The Old Globe

In Act II of William Shakespeare's timeless play Hamlet, Prince Hamlet states that "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Well I, along with a vast majority of patrons, think the Old Globe's Hamlet is well-worth seeing.

It's a classic tale––there's something rotten in Denmark. The ghost of Hamlet's father (Michael Genet) tells Hamlet (Grantham Coleman) how he died: the King's own brother, Claudius (Cornell Womack), killed him. Now king (and married to Hamlet's mother Gertrude, played by Opal Alladin) Claudius has all of the power, starting Hamlet on a journey to learn the truth... and get revenge. Spoiler alert: everyone in the court comes to a bloody end––except Horatio (Ian Lassiter).

Directed by Barry Edelstein, the Old Globe's production of Hamlet is the latest (and final) show in their 2017 summer Shakespeare Festival. Perhaps one of the most-performed Shakespeare plays, the Globe's version is riveting, beautiful, and unique. Coleman's Hamlet is engrossing to watch and handles the language deftly, while Patrick Kerr's Polonius is earnest comic relief.

There's strength behind Ian Lassiter's Horatio, and vulnerbility in Opal Alladin's Queen Gertrude. One standout comes from Talley Beth Gale's performance of Ophelia, as she descends from a coy, intelligent girl into wild madness at her father's death. 

I confess, this production of Hamlet sometimes harshly grates against my own reading of the Shakespeare classic. For example, Cornell Womack’s Claudius (though layered in the second half) spends much of beginning engrossed in his quasi-incestuous relationship with Gertrude, with nary a thought for those around him, including his servants. Yet if you look closely at the text, Claudius is not only an able king (though a terrible person), but he appears to be a better king than Hamlet’s father was. Within months of King Hamlet's death, Claudius has come to an arrangement with Norway's Fortinbras, curtailing conflict; it's only after Prince Hamlet starts poking around in his father's death that Claudius begins to loose his grip. I would have liked to see King Claudius shrewder and more competent early on.

It's a small thing within an ultimately engrossing production. From the mobile sets by Tim Mackabee to the brilliant lighting by Stephen Strawbridge, the Old Globe's Hamlet is a memorable take of a Shakespeare classic. The lavish, royal costumes (designed by Cait O'Connor) bring elegance to the production, while Cutris Moore's music offers a unique, almost modern sound.

I've seen and read Hamlet countless times over the years, and I've learned two things from the play: brevity is the soul of wit, and never stand behind an arras. Hamlet is showing at the Old Globe's Lowell Davies Festival Theatre in Balboa Park until September 10th. Tickets are available via the Old Globe's website.

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