The Bell Shakespeare Company is celebrating 25 years of momentous performances all in the name of The Great Bard. While they have performed Hamlet in that time, they’ve never sent it on a national tour, which is not really that surprising – it’s a big, complex play that is incredibly demanding of its cast and crew. But when you have Damien Ryan (fresh of a killer season with Henry V) directing and Josh McConville (MTC’s Sublime, 2014) in the lead role, anything is possible.
Hamlet is often described as the modern man; an existential anti-hero who asks the big questions and is paralysed with inaction when much is asked of him. The play contains madness, revenge, betrayal, and a whole lot of murder, all of which helps explain why it is one of Shakespeare’s most well known plays. The show will only run in Melbourne for a week and a half – so if you’re keen to see a Shakespearian classic brought to life by some of Australia’s finest theatrical talent, get on board.