Fresh take on Hamlet (From Gazette Series)

Fresh take on Hamlet

A Thousand Natural Shocks The T E A M in Bath Shakespeare Festival

A THOUSAND Natural Shocks takes a few giant leaps beyond Shakespeare's Hamlet - something is rotten not only in the state of Denmark, but seemingly in the whole world.

Four young actors from New York present an apocalyptic view of the future in this production - there is an abiding mood of claustrophobic waiting, with inescapable loops of themes repeating.

Hamlet's father's death is ever-present - the gloom is lightened a shade by dark jokes about "awesome funeral", "good grief" and "you look good in black". Language is modern, with swear-words and references to Great Danes and Legoland.

At one point, Shakespeare's play is directly quoted, and the title of this piece is from the famous "to be or not to be" speech, but more of the original play would have been appreciated here.

The characters, Laertes, Ophelia, Hamlet and Horatio, are grouped around a table several times, playing games about the role of parents.

This is an allusion to Hamlet's core pre-occupations; but it also reminded me of student sessions of "setting the world to rights". A Thousand Natural Shocks opens with "Do you really think we're about to change everything?"

Images and sounds fly around in this fast-paced production, with Nietzche, nihilism, oil industry, Google and charity appeals all making appearances.

The actors are superb, performing with infectious, impressive conviction. I'm not sure, however, if I came away with all the meaning they intended.