Beyond the formal innovations mentioned above, the actors have one watchword: the text, nothing but the text, in the purest English of which they are capable. Ashish Beesoondial has accustomed us to great solos and English-language dramaturgy, but this time his stage fright has more to do with the idea of returning to the stage after seven years as artistic director of the Caudan Arts Centre and staging works in very different registers, such asO Re Piya to name but one example.
The cast will also include Guillaume Silavant as the villainous Claudius, Edeen Bhugeloo as Laërte, Devash Hanoomanjee as Polonius, Max Anish Gowriah as Marcellus, Roshan Hassamal as Horatio and Estelle Lasémillante as Reynaldo, to name but a few. Work on the text began in October for all actors, with meticulous attention to pronunciation and tone.
Rehearsals began in January and will continue until the first performances, scheduled for school audiences on June 3, 4 and 5. Hamlet is on the curriculum for secondary schools, and this year the cinema is bringing us a new version of this play , which has taken on a new relevance in our troubled world. The modernity of the play is also reflected in the sustained rhythm of the performance, the music of the language, the sober sets on a T-shaped platform and the pared-down costumes.
