Horatio and Hamlet, which is directed and adapted by Harry Reed, is a bold new take on the famous Shakespeare play Hamlet. Placing Hamlet and Horatio in a student flat in present day, the struggles that Hamlet faces feel more urgent and relatable to audiences, whilst still holding onto the depth of Shakespeare's text. Reed has admirably created a version of Hamlet that is still as profound as the original text, yet feels more accessible and approachable for modern audiences.
Hamlet, who's grieving the death of his father, finds himself plagued with hallucinations of a ghostly apparition, and is slowly driven to madness as he suspects his uncle to have murdered his father, before marrying his mother (It's Shakespeare). Sickened with grief, suspicion, fear and rage, Hamlet descends into darkness, spiralling out in emotional fits and often contemplates violent means. Horatio, a fellow student from university, seeks to help Hamlet cope and process through this ordeal, yet finds himself at a loss of the means to do so. Still loyal and patient to the end, Horatio serves as a kind close friend, more akin to a brother, despite the many confrontations between the two.
By focusing Hamlet on the friendship between Hamlet and Horatio, the show provides a really rich foundation that really makes sense. Alongside their lasting friendship comes hiccups of betrayal, suspicion, deceit, secrecy, and lies which makes for a rather impressive watch. Although the play can be understood and followed by audiences who aren't familiar with the original play, it would be more appreciated by those who are already familiar.
Starring Joseph Ryan-Hughes as Hamlet and Alex Dean as Horatio, the play manages to encompass most of Shakespeare's Hamlet, despite only being a two cast show, with clever references and family photos. Horatio is given a larger role in this adaptation of Hamlet, and becomes a more fascinating character with his more grounded performance. There's an interesting push and pull between the two characters, which quite literally culminates in a final physical brawl. Hamlet experiences an emotional rollercoaster which is witnessed firsthand by Horatio, allowing for their individual perspectives on this aftermath of Hamlet's father's death.
The play mostly uses original text, with a few tweaks to help condense this massive play into a 90-minute, two person show. However the language flows and feels quite natural and surprisingly not out of place, due in no small part to Ryan-Hughes' delivery and performance.
The performances of both Ryan-Hughes and Dean are brilliant. Ryan-Hughes' performance rivals those currently on the West End, with a genius ability to craft a Hamlet so soaked in Shakespeare's original text and yet so inventive in its delivery. Long gone are the solely serious and dramatic monologues, Ryan-Hughes has leaned into the melodramatic, with whiplashingly quick and varied emotions between every line. Ryan-Hughes is irresistibly gripping as Hamlet, both in his sweet and sympathetic portrayal as the young boy who's haunted by hallucinations, and as a sinister and spine-tingling avenger. This results in audiences quite literally leaning in and away from his performance at certain moments. A special mention to Ryan-Hughes for picking at an apple with his fingers to create a skull and then proceeding to deliver perhaps the most famous monologue with a steady hand.
Dean, contrastingly, delivers a more earnest and quiet performance as the defeated Horatio who is forced to watch Hamlet grapple with madness. The growing exhaustion and weariness is evident and wonderfully portrayed by Dean's sagged shoulders and weary approach, yet he snaps into action when having to restrain a thrashing and sobbing Hamlet during a breakdown. Horatio's character arc doesn't provide Dean with much space to demonstrate a larger dramatic range, yet Dean harnesses Horatio's internal conflict to provide a mysterious, intriguing and ultimately triumphant performance.
Laura Mugford, the show's designer, has created a safe haven for the show to exist and shine. Mugford has taken the intimate theatre and small stage, and turned it into a chaotic, clustered compact student accommodation room that aids the script very well. Taking particular interest in the finer details, Mugford's set design and costumes add a great deal of context and volume to the play, helping audiences pick up on context that the script couldn't fit in.
With stacks of books piled around, ranging from worn out classics and newer fiction novels, to unique and funky house decor such as a piggybank, mouse-shaped lamp, ghost shaped mugs, to the cosy sofa and blankets and a variation of a crack pipe, the set strongly defines the space and the character's personalities. Mugford, however, also includes a rug that provides the student flat with a level of grandeur, reminding the audiences of the esteem of Shakespeare. The lighting mostly comes from strategically placed lamps around the set and a pointed orange glow, creating an atmospheric darkness that feels suggestive. Hamlet's hallucinations are denoted with smoke and a flooding of blue light that washes over the stage.
The use of the chessboard is very efficient, especially when Hamlet plays against himself and ends with a satisfying checkmate of the King whilst also performing a monologue, but also in providing Horatio and Hamlet a dignified opportunity to oppose one another. Mugford's costumes are subtle but also provide a lot of context to the characters. Dean is amusingly wearing a University of Wittenberg hoodie, a lovely tribute to the original text. Ryan-Hughes is contrastingly dressed in a rumpled shirt, trousers and a loose tie, giving the impression of a troubled young boy being pushed into adulthood, which is a quietly brilliant design.
Hamlet and Horatio is a brilliant adaptation of Hamlet. With Hamlet's madness more keenly felt and animated at times, it was almost as if the famous Shakespearean character was on drugs himself (which he actually is in the play). A fascinating watch, with strong and intelligent story telling and remarkable performances. Hamlet and Horatio is currently playing at the Baron Court Theatre until 12th October - for tickets and more information, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
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