Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival continues its 35th Season in Vanier Park with Hamlet joining Twelfth Night on the BMO Mainstage from June 13 to September 20, 2024. Stephen Drover directs his own innovative adaptation.
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About Hamlet
No play by Shakespeare has more meaningfully captivated us than Hamlet.
At its core, Hamlet is a tale of revenge and existential crisis. A young prince returns home to mourn the death of his father only to uncover a dark secret he can’t ignore. His struggle to move forward with purpose awakens deep questions about life, existence, and if it’s better “To be or not to be.” As he attempts to make sense of a world that has shifted beneath him, we are invited to see ourselves in Hamlet and to consider the blurry lines around loyalty, self, and all the things that are in heaven and earth.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, has returned home to Elsinore for his father’s funeral, only to learn that his mother, Gertrude, has married his uncle Claudius, who is now King of Denmark.
Disturbed by this turn of events, a melancholic Hamlet continues to mourn the loss of his father and his friend Horatio brings news of a ghost that resembles the late King Hamlet wandering the grounds of Elsinore. Hamlet starts to realize that things may not be exactly as they seem and resolves to try and catch a glimpse of the ghost for himself.
Elsewhere, Laertes, the son of Polonius, speaks with his sister Ophelia while preparing to return to France. He warns Ophelia to steer clear of Hamlet’s affections, and when Polonius overhears this and learns that Hamlet has been courting his daughter, he forbids Ophelia from spending any more time with Hamlet.
That evening, Hamlet, Horatio, and the watchman Marcellus wait outside, where the ghost reveals himself to Hamlet as his father’s spirit. He tells Hamlet that he was not killed in an accident, but rather, murdered by his brother Claudius, and asks Hamlet to avenge his death. What happens next is a tragic saga of betrayal, murder, political intrigue, and revenge that has captivated audiences for generations.
Hamlet cast members include:
Kate Besworth, Ivy Charles, Evelyn Chew, Jennifer Clement, Aidan Correia, Matthew Ip Shaw, Nathan Kay, Camille Legg, Anton Lipovetsky, Chirag Naik, Christine Quintana, Munish Sharma, Nadeem Phillip Umar Khitab, Andrew Wheeler, and Marcus Youssef. Understudies for Hamlet are Charlie Gallant, Olivia Hutt, and Billy Marchenski.
Set Designer Pam Johnson has crafted a stage reminiscent of a Danish modern library. Costume Designer Barbara Clayden has constructed a contemporary costume collection reflecting the looks worn in today’s world.
Additional members of Hamlet’s production team include Mary Jane Coomber (Sound Designer), Gerald King (Lighting Designer), Jonathan Hawley Purvis (Choreographer/Fight Director), Lisa Goebel (Choreographer and Intimacy Director), Alison Matthews (Head Voice & Text Coach) and Heidi Wilkinson (Head of Props). They are supported by Joanne P.B. Smith (Production Stage Manager), Jennifer Stewart (Assistant Stage Manager) and Harlow Nguyen (Apprentice Stage Manager).
Event Details
When: June 13 – September 20 on various nights
Where: Vanier Park, Vancouver
Cost: From $30. You can purchase tickets online here.