A barren Nordic land, rough seas and the pulsating agitation of the country and the soul. A foreign army sits tight at the borders, the new king ascends to the throne, and the surrounding lands are in turmoil. Hidden secrets are unearthed, evil omens emerge, and the ghost of the dead king imposes on his son a dreadful order to revenge his cruel murder. Where is the truth? What is reality? How does the lust for power corrupt a man? What stains on one’s soul leaves the quest for revenge? Is there a place for love in this world? Is it sensible to act? Is it sensible to be? Hamlet as a tragedy on the verges of madness, anxiety and fragility. A drama of the human soul as it was, is and will be. The famous play about the courage to challenge evil and the predicament of assuming responsibility in the crumbling world.
The new production brings Hamlet to the National Theatre’s stage after almost twenty-five years, as a reflection of the current times. The questions Shakespeare puts here before the creative team and audience mirror our feelings, thoughts and anxieties. Whenever staged, Hamlet narrates a story about the turn of eras and the end of the old world; about social changes and disillusionment, and about the ordeal of keeping true to the line that “the readiness is all”.