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REVIEWS

DAILY MAIL 13.08.10

****

Verdict: Hamlet's a hoot!

From start to finish this is a gloriously executed spoof of Shakespeare’s finest tragedy.

The moment the ghost drifts on looking like Elvis in Vegas circa 1975, you know you’re in for a treat.

Wearing a baseball cap, Jack Shalloo’s nerdish ginger-nut Hamlet is complemented by Virge Gilchrist as his mother Gertrude — an Essex gold-digger with a perpetual chalice of wine.

It’s one of those shows where everything clicks and is sprinkled with the stardust of wonderfully silly Carry On-style jokes such as Phil Cole’s Polonius asking Gertrude if he can ‘hide behind her arras’. (That’s a tapestry wall hanging, you at the back.)

Simon Scullion’s wobbly sets do Ryan McBryde’s production proud, offering pure pop-up book kitsch as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are played as New York Jewish puppets with human heads trapped in a closet.

You’ll have to book early to avoid disappointment!

EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS 13.08.10

****

TALER du Dansk? Nej? By the end of this homage to English literature's most intriguing play, the chances are you'll be singing in Danish, let alone speaking in the tongue. Here to ruminate over the Bard's most important question: Is it cos I is Danish? And latterly, his second most important question: To be or not to be?

Playwrights Alex Silverman, Timothy Knapman and Ed Jaspers have chosen to reintroduce Shakespeare to the masses via the pop culture medium of musical theatre. In doing so, they have, for the first time, actually given 15-year-olds a clue as to what the play they're reading for Standard Grade is actually about.

First introduced at the Fringe in 2001, Hamlet The Musical has since been workshopped and developed by a number of different casts. The current ensemble, lead by a fresh-faced Jack Shalloo as the bewildered Hamlet, is gleefully inventive and irreverent. Mark Inscoe's turn as the conniving Claudius would steal the show if it weren't for the diverting antics of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and a Lloyd Webber inspired play within a play. Although lacking the emotional depth and range of it's predecessor, Hamlet the Musical provides a diverting afternoon of folly and a joyful antidote to all those hours spent in sweltering Portakabins watching earnest young chaps mutilate the original.

As the cast would say themselves, see it or Elsinore!

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By Alex Silverman, Timothy Knapman and Ed Jaspers

HAIRLINE

*****

We all know the story. Hamlet wants revenge on the death of his father, his uncle marries his mother to become king, Ophelia is (literally) madly in love… Hamlet has had many incarnations, adaptations and modernisations, but none as original and fun as Alex Silverman, Timothy Knapman and Ed Jaspers’ version.
‘Hamlet! The musical’ comes packed with laugh-a-minute jokes, some extremely clever tunes, and an amazingly imaginative set design. Best of all, though, are the actors themselves. Jack Shalloo is a great Hamlet, his clothes accentuating the ditsy demeanor the character has. Virge Gilchrist and Jess Robinson are superb as Gertrude and Ophelia (and other characters they also play), while Phil Cole as Polonius and Mark Inscoe as Claudius get some big laughs with their purposely over-dramatic performances. Most laughs do come from Stephen Webb’s facial expressions and gestures as he embodies an array of different characters (including Laertes). Best of all, though are the performance when they interact with each other, demonstrating flawless comedy timing and acting skills.
In a show that is constantly amazing, a highlight comes from the troupe of actors that visit Elsinore, the play within the actual play being a five minute non-stop hilarious segment. There are even tears of laughter amongst the audience.
‘Hamlet! The Musical’ might very well be the best show in 2010’s Fringe Festival, a constant feet tapping dance to the iambic pentameter.

The Public Reviews

*****

With a plethora of shows every fringe titled something or other ‘The Musical’ you would be forgiven for thinking this show is nothing new – but you would be wrong! Wowing the audience from the first bars of music, Hamlet! The Musical is an electrifying rollercoaster ride through the story of the Prince with the ‘Danish Blues’.

With Hamlet as a rude-boy teenager, Laertes dressed as a Toreador, and a Ghost who bears a striking resemblance to Elvis, this was immediately set to be an entirely different retelling of Shakespeare’s classic. The songs are catchy, the dance routines slick, and there are enough puns and nods to the bard to keep everyone happy. Mark Inscoe is outstanding as the devious Claudius, with a sublime singing voice and comic timing to match, and Laertes (Stephen Webb) is adroit and absurd in equal measure. Jack Shalloo is a hilarious Hamlet (two words that have rarely been put together) and performs a sensational solo ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ backed by the rest of the cast which is one of the show’s many highlights. Jess Robinson’s Ophelia is far from wet as she descends into madness, and Virge Gilchrist’s peculiar Gertrude is a joy to watch.

Rather than stock stage combat, characters use anything at their disposal when settling their scores including giant baguettes, a hilarious dance-off, and Hamlet and Laertes commencing their final showdown armed with nothing but giant herring. All of the actors are superb, playing multiple roles with ease and gently mocking the majority of mainstream musicals with aplomb, while the live orchestra provide the bombastic backing track. It will be a crime if this show doesn’t transfer after the festival.

“A hit, a very palpable hit”!