Shakespeare’s Hamlet is set to be performed by The Festival Players Theatre Company at Whittington Castle on Sunday 29 May.
The Festival Players Theatre Company from Gloucestershire, which has been touring professional outdoor Shakespeare productions for over 30 years, is taking the play across the UK and into Europe to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the nation’s (arguably the world’s) greatest playwright.
Presented in full costume, an all-male company of six brings the excitement of this great thriller: intrigue, ghostly visitations, passion, a play-within-a-play, a gripping duel, and humour, in a crystal-clear and fast-paced 2-hour production.
Thought to have been first performed in 1600 and possibly the greatest tragedy in the English language, Hamlet is a story of revenge. Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is haunted by the ghost of his father, who tells him that he was murdered by his own brother, Claudius. Claudius not only wears the late king’s crown but has also married his wife, Gertude, Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet has lost his father and his opportunity to be king, and possibly his sanity; can he believe the ghost, and if so how should he exact revenge? And who else will suffer along the way? As the song ‘That’s Entertainment’, the famous anthem to show business, puts it: “Some great Shakespearean scene, Where a ghost and a prince meet, And everyone ends in mincemeat!”
Festival Players Artistic Director Michael Dyer has brought the play, the bard’s longest, to a manageable length of 2 hours in the company’s trademark accessible format. Says Dyer: “Our shows are an amalgam of energy, entertainment and colour and we aim to make them clear and transparent, as well as keeping them short for the comfort of our patrons. We set out to take audiences of all ages on a journey and make them feel very much part of the production.”
The outdoor production will take place at Whittington Castle near Oswestry on Sunday 29th May at 7pm. Tickets cost £14 (£12 concessions) if pre-booked, or £16 (£14 concessions) on the night, and are available from 01691 662 500. This is an open-air performance; the grounds will be open for picnics from 6pm onwards and refreshments will be available on site. Please take your own seating.
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