Cahiers Elisabethains, October 1989, by Luc Borot.
"1989 RSC Spring/Summer Season at the Royal Shakespeare 
Theatre and the Swan, Stratford-upon-Avon
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"Hamlet," directed by Ron Daniels, RST, Stratford-upon-Avon, 
24 April 1989, centre stalls. Design: Anthony McDonald; 
music: Clair Van Kempen. Hamlet: Mark Rylance; Ophelia: 
Rebecca Saire; Claudius: Peter Wight; Gertrude: Clare 
Higgins; Polonius: Patrick Godfrey; Laertes: John Ramm; 
Rosencrantz: Andrew Bridgmont; Guildenstern: Patrick 
Brennan; Fortinbras: Jared Harris.

For this rather unconventional but stimulating "Hamlet," the 
set was all askew, with almost no parallels, in an "oblique" 
parody of neo-classical, so-called "post-modern" 
architecture of the Ricardo Boffill type. The "something 
rotten" of the Danish kingdom was thus straightforwardly 
conveyed, as was the genuinely tortured, oedipian psyche of 
Mark Rylance's Hamlet. The set was very efficiently used. 
The semi-circular motions of the panels succeeded in 
constructing various rooms in the palace, formal (e.g., the 
post-wedding scene) or intimate ("to be or not to be," the 
"nunnery scene" and the family disputes), as well as two 
outdoor locations, used for the ghost-scenes and those with 
Fortinbras--all in all, six different locations. The use of 
curtains and doors could add three to this number, for the 
room where the mouse-trap is played, and the king and 
queen's bedrooms. Pneumatic jacks lifted parts of the 
flooring to create battlements for the two ghost-scenes.

Costumes were of the traditional nineteenth-century court 
style, perhaps reminiscent of operetta, or the "Senso" style 
of dress, parodic in intention. The only exceptions were the 
watchmen, in Tatar-like uniforms with chapkas, and 
Fortinbras' Norsemen, in costumes one might call "hippie 
mercenary" in style, and speaking in an almost 
incomprehensible drone or drawl.

To these exceptions, one ought to add Hamlet himself, who 
spent most of the plays in old striped pyjamas, yawning 
rather than delivering the "to be or not to be" speech, 
before jumping astride poor sensitive and sensible Ophelia 
(Rebecca Saire) in the nunnery scene, which looked almost 
like a rape attempt. The dramatic efficiency of the play's 
argument was distorted by the use of the first quarto text 
which considerably ruins the coherence of this particular 
part of the tragedy and makes Hamlet's behaviour more 
difficult to account for.

This production was yet another psychological version of the 
teenage Hamlet's OEdipus complex. Mr. Rylance's acting was 
thoroughly excessive, but almost devoid of the nuances in 
tone which the text implies. The pyjamas, the railed 
hospital beds carried to and fro from "room" to "room," 
enhanced the impression that Elsinore was a lunatic asylum 
(some spectators, though not the present reviewer, were 
reminded of Auschwitz uniforms) in which everything was 
designed to aggravate Hamlet's symptoms. Hamlet gets out of 
his pyjamas to step into a sort of "pirate of Penzance" 
outfit after Ophelia's death.

The majestic ghost, reminiscent of Olivier's film production 
choices, appeared to a background of synthetic music, wind, 
and red lights. When he appeared in Gertrude's bedroom he 
was in his dressing-gown.

The mouse-trap was performed to the sound of a discordant 
amplified violin, with a light-show whose rhythm was 
slightly too slow and rather broken, though the idea was 
good and seemed to be appreciated by the audience. 
Nevertheless, the behaviour of the Queen and King was not 
very convincing.

The murder of Polonius was called a "sexual murder" by some 
spectators. Hamlet rushes upon the wrapped figure of 
Polonius (hidden under the bed) and stabs him numerous times 
with almost obscene violence. The discourse of Hamlet and 
Gertrude which ensued, being always at the highest pitch of 
intensity without respite, failed to touch the audience. 
Here again, the choice of passion and excess as the dominant 
mood for the production was unconvincing.

The duel scene was extremely efficient and its rhythm was 
perfectly kept by all the performers. Dressed in turn-of-
the-century fencing outfits, Laertes and Hamlet follow very 
deliberate and acrobatic duelling figures, akin to the old 
Erroll Flynn tradition of Robin Hood fencing. Yorick's 
skull, which has accompanied Hamlet from the gravediggers' 
scene onwards, is set in a recess, and benevolently, but 
also ironically, watches the fight.

The final impression was that this intelligent production 
was lacking in subtlety owing to its almost total reliance 
on psychology. The metaphysical and political implications 
of the play were ignored. Mr. Daniels offered us an almost 
French "Hamlet," psychologism and faulty diction included. 
One normally expects better standards from an RSC 
production.



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