Writer: William Shakespeare
Adaptor/Writer: Rachel Waterhouse
Director: Justin Stathers
There’s a ghost on the battlements at Elsinore…who you gonna call? Prince Hamlet! Shakespeare’s tragedy has been ‘mashed up and pulped through a variety of pop songs’ (as the programme notes put it), and the result is an hour of enjoyable silliness from Dancing Salmon Productions. Having seen their previous mash-ups of Macbeth and Julius Caesar, I knew roughly what to expect, and I got the impression that there were a number of returning fans in the audience.
Those unfamiliar with the plot are given helpful background notes, with spoiler alerts, but really, when you strip back the story to its basics (and leave out all those soliloquies) it’s easy enough to follow. The cast sing and dance their way through the action with enormous energy, with hits by artists as diverse as Kanye, ABBA, Coldplay and Sinatra providing the soundtrack. Lyrics are brilliantly rewritten by Rachel Waterhouse, and there are some very strong solo vocal performances, particularly by KT Ihnatyszyn as Hamlet, Gemma Seren as Gertrude/Ophelia, and Charlotte Hall in her final number as Fortinbras. Group numbers are delivered with gusto and complete conviction. Credit also to the member of the audience who was ‘cast’ as Horatio – if this happens to you, don’t panic – no acting required! Props and costumes are engagingly home-made, and the young cast’s enthusiasm is irresistible – an almost full house were engaged throughout.
Particular highlights are the pop rap gravediggers, and the final Norwegian takeover, but the whole package is fun, frantic and, despite the body count, relentlessly upbeat.
Runs until 15 August 2026 | Image: Contributed
