A review on William Shakespeare’s foreign-language Drama theatre play, Hamlet (2017). It was performed at NAPA’s International Theatre Festival 2017.
+ Crew
- Directed by Gregory Thompson
- Directed by Bimal Subedi
- Light Designed by Jibesh Rayamajhi
- Translation by Shristi Bhattarai & Jeebesh Rayamajhi
+ Note
Hamlet is a Nepali play, performed in their local language. For our audience, this play had arranged English subtitles.
In 2001 the Nepali Crown Prince and the rest of the Nepali Royal family lay dead in the palace compound opposite Theatre Village in Kathmandu; violent regime changed. Shakespeare’s recurrent theme is a living memory in Nepal.
+ Full Cast
- Dilip Ranabhat
- Romi Khadgi
- Sandesh Shakya
- Asha Bandhari
- Nawaraj Parajulli
- Bholaraj Sapkota
- Parajit Bansyal
- Deepak Sapkota
- Sajan Thapa
- Shrawan Rana
- Deepesh Rai
+ Plot
Hamlet with a shaven head as befits the eldest son at the burning of his father’s lifeless body. He is infuriated with anger and hatred towards his uncle who has taken his late father’s empire and even his wife (Hamlet’s mother). Hamlet is determined to avenge his father’s death so that his spirit could finally rest in peace.
+ High Points
i – The performances by the main cast was good, especially by the actor who played the role of Hamlet.
ii – The costumes were well designed in the theme of Nepali regime.
+ Low Points
i – Huge blunder I would say, how the English subtitles were handled.
- They were placed on higher end of the wall while the play was being performed down below. Either you could read the subtitles or watch the play.
- Due to stage’s such intense lights, the audience could hardly make out to what was written in subtitles.
- The subtitles were appearing late while the performers delivered their dialogues already.
- Half of the subtitles were going out of the frame which all adds up to the technical department’s mismanagement.
- It started out after 25 minutes late due to arranging subtitles for the audience to understand to what exactly was happening in the play but even then they did not make it work.
ii – The set design was very basic and simple.
+ Overall
It’s a shame really, to see one of the greatest Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet to be performed with such great efforts, only to be received with the public’s walkout due to its unreadable subtitles.
Rate: N/A out of 5 stars
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