English A Level Trip: Hamlet at the National Theatre

On Monday 3 November, a group of English Literature A-level students attended a performance of Hamlet at the National Theatre. Directed by Robert Hastie, this was a modern adaptation of the iconic tragedy.

Hamlet, played by Hiran Abeysekera, was presented as an apathetic man who injected a comedic edge to the role. While I thought this interpretation gave fresh energy to Hamlet’s character, it felt at odds with my impression of him as an angry, bitter and vindictive character from my study to date. 

I was looking forward to how Abeysekera would deliver his famous ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy and I was caught by surprise when this occurred in Act 2 rather than Act 3. The delivery was very different to performances I have seen by Kenneth Branagh and Rory Kinnear. 

Polonius was played as a predictably comic figure, but far less manipulative and pompous than in other versions I have seen. Some in the audience actually felt pity for him when he was killed by Hamlet. This was in stark contrast to Claudius, whose strong presence overshadowed many of the other performances. Ophelia’s vibrant presentation was very impressive and her strong-willed and defiant traits were magnified to help make the play feel relevant to contemporary audiences. I did, however, feel that the style of set, failed to create the sense of Elsinore as a ‘prison’.

Overall, I thought this adaptation of ‘Hamlet’ was engaging, well-choreographed, and proved very helpful for our understanding of the play. We are grateful to the English Department for organising this trip. 

Written by Marcus, current Year 12 English Literature student