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cube Theatre Company in association with The Crescent Theatre present
Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
31st March – 1st April 2008 at 7.30pm in The Main House
If you are looking for details of our 2010 production, it's here>>
cube reinvent hamlet
A prince devastated by the death of his father. Vulnerable, dejected, raw.
An oppressive regime spies on its subjects; CCTV cameras loom everywhere. Brutality lurks beneath the surface of charm and spin as the new king tightens his grip. But he has under-estimated the madness that has been unleashed in his nephew.
How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!
cube’s explosive new adaptation features a lean and taut version of the script. The story of hamlet is delivered faithfully, with the wit and beauty of the poetry intact. cube are approaching hamlet as if it were a contemporary play, with integrated film and a highly physical style.
This is no museum piece nor is it dumbed-down Shakespeare. This is tense, gripping stuff; a great story made fresh and relevant for our modern times.
This production is suitable for 11+.
Tickets £11 (Concessions £10)
cube
cube is a new theatre company in Cornwall. They have attracted funding from the Arts Council both to set up, and to tour hamlet. cube is the Theatre Company in Residence at Truro School.
cube Artistic Director Ben Oldfield says:
“We are committed to producing high quality new work, literary adaptations, and revivals of classic texts. Our choice of projects is led by a search for material that will challenge us as artists and excite audiences both new and existing. We have devoted ourselves to learning how theatre works, to discovering its essence, to finding truth on stage. We are passionate about exploring the connection between actors and audience.”
“We want to excite audiences about how fresh and relevant Shakespeare is today, which is why we are approaching hamlet as if it has just been written, a contemporary play in a contemporary setting.”
cube Artistic Director Benjamin Symes, who is directing hamlet says:
“I first read Hamlet when I was fifteen and I was blown away. I was moved by his predicament, by his struggling between heart and mind, his instinct and his doubts.”
“Yes it’s topical; within our digital screen saturated culture and the increasing surveillance of CCTV and mobile phone cameras which film our every move, our filmic production has a very contemporary context. But it’s also timeless; this prince loses his father, doesn’t know who to trust, makes terrible mistakes that cannot be rectified, and finds out how to be a man in time for the next generation but too late for himself.”
personnel
“We are really delighted to have attracted such a high class cast for this project. We are working with performers who have variously worked for the RSC, the National Theatre, Kneehigh, Miracle, Wildworks and The Cornish Theatre Collective. So it is a cast with pedigree!”
The cast consists of Ben Oldfield (Hamlet), Mark Buffery (Claudius), Elaine Claxton (Gertrude), Steve Jacobs (Polonius), Jon Welch (Laertes), Kyla Goodey (Ophelia), and Heidi Dorschler (Horatio)
The cast will be working with Fight Director Kate Waters, and c-scape dance company. The show is fast-moving and often violent, and calls for actors who can move expressively. c-scape will be overseeing the movement style for the piece. Kate Waters, known as Kombat Kate, will be choreographing the various fights.
“When you look at the play Hamlet, you realise what a violent piece it is, and what a brutal, bloody world it is set in. Claudius is basically a psychopath, and Hamlet is driven to desperate measures to achieve his revenge. We are excited to be working with Kate and c-scape, because they will help us realise the physical style that is needed to make the world of the play real.”
Film plays an integral part in cube’s hamlet, both through the CCTV medium, and also to represent various events and emotions. cube are working with film maker Serena Rodgers on a variety of filmed episodes that will be integrated into the play.