Hamlet – Alhambra Theatre, Bradford

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Rupert Goold

Hamlet is such an iconic work in the cultural landscape that each time there is a production or screen version of it – and there have been many –  you witness it in a kind of awe, wondering how this one will be different and what have they done with it this time? Will it be in traditional costume and time and place and set in a castle or will it be updated in some way? Will audiences be confused by male parts being played by females – interesting when in Shakespeare’s time all female parts were played by boys – or will it be the expected gender balance? How will the familiar scenes of the “To be or not to be” and “Alas! Poor Yorick” speeches be handled? What about Hamlet Senior’s ghost, Hamlet’s feigned madness and Ophelia’s actual madness, the multiple body count at the end – will all this be convincing or – forgive the pun – hammed up? Public attention on Hamlet is likely to be increased at this time by the current popularity of the film and book Hamnet which focuses on the death of Shakespeare’s only son at the age of eleven and the devastating and lifelong effect this had on the parents, and is thought to have been the catalyst for the creation of the play. This can only add to the mystique surrounding the play in the public consciousness.

This production catches the eye first and foremost by its stunning stage design (Es Devlin) which is in the form of a ship at sea, with the main acting area being the deck which can tilt at various angles causing the performers to concentrate on their balance and poise. The surface is literally slippery at times so that actors visibly – and intentionally – slide about and have to hold on to rails and each other at more stormy times. The backdrop is a screen projection of the mighty and everchanging sea which is very realistic and effective in evoking changing emotions and passions. At times the audience really feels that they are at sea both literally and metaphorically. This environment, stormy, brooding, ever changeable, dangerous, foreboding, dark, tempestuous reflects the emotions that are swirling about between the main characters with murder, betrayal, madness and revenge the order of the day and contributes to the general out of jointness to quote the play.  The audience is continually confronted by these images of the sea so that there is no escape from the confinement that the characters feel, trapped in this swirling maelstrom of emotion and despair. When Hamlet is at his most introspective and confused the backdrop changes to the ship’s engine room, with giant turning pistons and machinery reflecting his emotional state.  

The setting is given a very specific date – 1912 – and time sequence, with a flashing red digital clock counting down the time of events at various stages throughout (set on both sides of the stage and to the fore of the action). This adds to the whole urgency and immediacy of what is happening on stage. The production does seem to hedge its bets at times fluctuating between the ancient and modern, so that Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius with a gun whilst his fight with Laertes is with the traditional swords (impressively done). Hamlet is also tempted to kill the praying Claudius with a gun and commit suicide (“To be or not to be”) with a gun. In the opening scene old Hamlet is given a sea burial in keeping with the setting and this also provides for an easy route to Ophelia’s suicide by drowning. 

This is the Royal Shakespeare Company and you expect the highest standards of acting and quality and you are not disappointed. In the lead role Ralph Davis gives a very assured and nuanced performance delivering all the iconic speeches with aplomb. His feigned madness is prolonged and effective. He portrays his conflicted state convincingly. This is a Hamlet without adornment, sparse and pared down to the minimum, reminiscing about his relationship with Yorick and reflecting on the mutability of life, knowing just how quickly circumstances can change. Raymond Coulthard and Poppy Miller make for a very able and devious King and Queen, Claudius and Gertrude, wearing their responsibilities lightly and displaying all their wide theatrical experience. Richard Cant is a likeable if somewhat irritating Polonius to a tee and the audience are genuinely surprised by his sudden and shocking demise. Georgia-Mae Myers is an engaging Ophelia, overwhelmed by events and the innocent victim of fate’s capricious course. The whole Company are uniformly excellent with clear delivery and pitch adding to the overall effect. 

This is a production well worth seeing for its staging alone, and is an impressive addition to the Shakespeare canon.

Runs until 7th March 2026