Hamlet
- Brunton Theatre Company
Playwright - Shakespeare
Director - David Mark Thomson
Company
- Brunton Theatre Company Musselburgh
Venue -Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Nr Edinburgh - 0131 665
2240
Frequent buses
bus stop outside theatre LRT: 15, 26, 44, 85 + First Bus 66, 66a, 106,112,113,123,124,129.Theatre
has bar and restaurant.
Dates - 1 - 17 Feb 01
Reviewer
Thelma Good
Get thee to Musselburgh to catch this excellent Hamlet!
Elsinore's old king Hamlet has died and his widow has married his secretly
guilty brother. For the Brunton Edward Lipscomb has designed the setting
as freshly decorated staterooms (after the death maybe?) in blood red
and gilt. A dramatic set for this tense production where every word
and action tells a story, very
well directed by David Mark Thomson. He accentuates both its darkness
and its wonderful mordant humour as his well chosen actors speak the
lines as Shakespeare directed.
Liam
Brennan shows us what a fine actor he is. He explores the many levels
of human nature Shakespeare wrote into Hamlet. Brennan
a master of his skill and with delicacy of touch, brings out all the
nuances of this great part, pulling out all our stops. Ophelia (Allison
McKenzie) is an engaging strong young woman in this production,
who has turned down a few offers while Hamlet was off studying. Ophelia
shines out in her silver dress. It is deeply shocking when she loses
her reason. Her caring father is a Polonius (Gareth Thomas) you
feel for and you are appalled by his accidental death. Thomas
(sometime RSC and once Blake of Blake's 7) doubles as the Welsh gravedigger
giving us spadefuls of humour and thoughtprovoking comment from his
grave work.
Michael
Mackenzie plays Claudius, Hamlet's treacherous uncle as a forceful
yet attractive man who thinks he can control his destiny. Gertrude's
hasty marriage to him after her husband and his brother's death is much
more understandable than often the case. Anne Kidd as Gertrude
makes the most of a part which I think is underwritten in the versions
we have today.
Tom Freeman as Rosencratz and Osric gives two cameo performances
of the natures of silver-tongued courtiers. Horatio, played with integrity
by Rod Young is the steady friend of Hamlet and remaining witness
to all that happens. Horatio gives the final lines in this production.
For in this version Fortinbras does not appear and the turmoil outside
Elsinore is confined to Laertes, Polonius's grieving son's armed uprising.
In this production, this editing strengthens the play. All round an
excellent Hamlet, a short ride from Edinburgh for three hours
of gripping high drama.
EDITOR'S
COMMENT : Due to local political decisions this company is in real danger
of closure. Thomson is repeatedly showing he is a director of rare quality,
able in all quarters. The Scottish Arts Council as well as East Lothian
Council should be supporting him. Or else to quote Hamlet "The
rest is silence" and Mark Antony "The good that men do is
oft interred with their bones." Lend your support, go and see this
play, for soon the darkness may increase for a smashing modern theatre
in a country which has too few of them.
© Thelma Good February 2001
Update The company will be at the Brunton for 2001 - 2 season but are
requested to become a touring company based at the Brunton after that.
