Hamlet at Barbican Theatre
This is Hamlet, but not as you know it. It’s a lively and fast-paced reimagining that weaves the experiences of Shakespeare’s characters with the experiences of the cast.
Peru’s Teatro La Plaza presents this Spanish language adaptation of Hamlet, bringing the show and its cast half-way across the world to the stage at the Barbican, where it feels right at home. It’s a play about identity, inclusion and life.
The cast all have Down Syndrome, and their experiences of that are woven into a deconstructed production of Hamlet. Rather than the fluid story from start to finish that all are familiar with, the cast jump between playing themselves and playing Shakespeare characters, picking only specific scenes that resonate with their lives and tell their own story. They expertly draw a comparison between Hamlet’s crisis and how Down Syndrome affects their relationships and their rights, how they’re treated, how they see themselves, how they love and how they live.
Despite the jumping about, or perhaps because of it, it’s a brilliantly put-together show. Playwright (and director and founder of Teatro la Plaza), Chela De Ferrari, has done an excellent job of crafting a properly funny script that the cast perform with great energy throughout.
The whole thing feels very experimental, cutting up Hamlet, introducing modern music, and using a large screen that allows for interesting backdrops and playful camera work. It all feels very Barbican, a stage that has a long love affair with theatrical experimentation alongside cultural expression and indeed Shakespeare, being the London home of the RSC.
The show is performed entirely in Spanish with English subtitles running along the top of the background screen, visible and clear but completely unobtrusive. While some theatres have been experimenting with subtitles in recent years, this does raise an interesting point: if subtitles are so easy to implement when everyone needs them, why not have them the rest of the time for the people who always need them? Hamlet shows that theatre can be more inclusive and accessible with no compromise to the art.
Hamlet is a generally joyful production with an important message. It blends some hard-hitting moments with great humour and pace, challenging the audience.
Jim Compton-Hall
Photos: Teatro La Plaza
Hamlet is at Barbican Theatre from 24th until 27th April 2025. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.
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