The Hamlet Apocalypse

Overview

The apocalypse. Ooh, the end of the world, revelation, prophecy, the triumph of good over evil...basically: a very intense event.

One strange little group of actors have decided to rehearse Hamlet on the night before the apocalypse. Why? Who knows? I’d be drinking a lot of champagne, eating good cheese and listening to trashy 80s pop, but that’s just me. Anyway, The Hamlet Apocalypse is set on the night before the apocalypse and is an analysis of the finality death, and the wonder of life. It explores mortality, and developing an understanding the death is an inevitable part of life. Using parts of the Hamlet text the work reflects on the importance of living, and understanding that time does indeed run out.

Using physical theatre techniques, the emotion of the work is expressed through movement. Traditional notions of theatre are questioned in this production, and often the fourth wall is broken, allowing the audience within the performance. The production has had very successful seasons in Melbourne and Adelaide, and now returns to its hometown of Brisbane. The Danger Ensemble, with the prodigious Steven Mitchell Wright at the helm, has been creating some incredible theatre over the past few years, and if the interstate reviews are anything to go by, The Hamlet Apocalypse is no exception. I'd suggest seeing it ASAP, before time runs out.