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Hamlet

Lyceum Theatre

Four stars 

Edinburgh International Festival has seen many Hamlets over the decades. Few, however, have resembled this audacious reimagining of Shakespeare’s play from Peru’s Teatro La Plaza that arrived in town this week. Rather than wallow in the existential crisis of the bard’s sulky Danish teen, writer and director Chela De Ferrari uses the play as a springboard for eight actors with Down syndrome to pass the crown around in order to give voice to their own inner desires. 

 

After lining up to explain to the audience that they might take their time with their lines, the octet launch into a melee that takes in personal stories, filmed sequences and rap. There are even on screen cameos from Ian McKellen and Laurence Olivier, before a final punky explosion sees the cast celebrate their differences in glorious fashion.

 

Performed in Spanish with English surtitles, with input from associate directors and playwrights Jonathan Oliveros, Claudia Tangoa and Luis Alberto León, and pulsed along by a jaunty recorded score, lights are frequently turned up on the audience for direct engagement. 

 

At one point volunteers are invited on stage to join in the visiting players scene. Those keen to take part are given minor roles, clutching bits of twigs as they become little more than scenery, while it is the Teatro La Plaza cast who get to play the leads. This telling reversal of power speaks volumes about how Down syndrome actors are more usually sidelined in much the same way as the audience are here. Beyond the fun and games, this is the very serious point being made here. 

 

The sense of ensemble community at play throughout the show is vital. Octavio Bernaza, Jaime Cruz, Lucas Demarchi, Manuel García, Diana Gutierrez, Cristina León Barandiarán, Ximena Rodríguez and Álvaro Toledo all rise to the occasion. 

 

The ending, as the entire audience are invited on stage to dance, more resembles the encore of a Belle and Sebastian gig than a Shakespearean tragedy, making for an exhilarating piece of serious fun. 


The Herald, August 17th 2024

 

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