“Goodnight, sweet Prince,

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

Horatio’s final words to his best friend hang in the air long after he’s uttered them. As the bodies have piled up around him in that final scene, Horatio is the sole survivor of one of Shakespeare’s more bloody tragedies. This new adaptation, entitled Hamlet, Sweet Prince, edited and directed by Alex Jodi Verge, seeks to shed a more modern light on one of the Bard’s most popular works. Starring Gabbi Kosmidis as the titular character, Hamlet, Sweet Prince, is a valiant first attempt for this new theatre company.

Hamlet, Sweet Prince sets Shakespeare’s tragedy in a posh, modern office, with set design by Kenzia Dalile and haunting lighting design by Franco Pang. The rapiers on the wall, acting as Chekhov’s rapiers, are the only vestige of the original setting of the play. This modernization of Elsinore doesn’t distract from the story itself, as the power structure of a modern company easily mirrors that of a kingdom. Ellyn O’Keefe’s costume design likewise keeps the integrity of the original, with Hamlet donned all in black while everyone else is back to business as usual.

To get Hamlet, Sweet Prince down to a two and a half hour run time, Verge had to do some major cuts. While some of them I totally understand (Fortinbras is not and has never been needed, sorry Bill), there were a couple which I was surprised had been eliminated. The list of hardships Hamlet gives in the famous “to be or not to be” speech were cut, and I find that they give such a great insight into the things swirling around in Hamlet’s mind at the time. However, I think that the cutting of the gravedigger scene, which in turn leads to the cutting of the “alas, poor Yorrick” speech, was the most surprising. It’s the most funny scene in the play, and while it does go on for quite a while, it could have been trimmed down, but left in, allowing for the most iconic image in all of Shakespeare to still occur: Hamlet holding up the skull (but not saying “to be or not to be”, that’s one of my biggest hang ups and I will die on this hill). Overall, I thought most of the cuts were smart and well done, but there certainly were moments included which I could live without in favour of some of the more recognizable images. I also enjoyed the shared soliloquy of “oh that this too too solid flesh would melt” between Hamlet and Ophelia, as it gives them an intimacy right at the beginning of the play which we otherwise don’t actually witness.

I think where Hamlet, Sweet Prince missed the mark was in the queerness of this retelling. It bills itself as a queer, modern retelling of Hamlet, and modern it certainly is, but I didn’t feel like much had been changed to give it a distinctive queerness. While there were several roles which were gender swapped, and there are trans or non-binary folks involved, nothing has been done to the story to give it a decidedly queer overtone. One of the content warnings is for transphobia, and yet I didn’t get a sense of that whatsoever in the text: everyone’s correct pronouns are used throughout the play, and I saw no physical indication of any hatred between the characters (which wasn’t already written in, of course). I think if there had’ve been some conflict, like Hamlet actually prefers she/her pronouns and so everyone else but Claudius, Polonius, and (occasionally) Gertrude still used he/him, that would have made a bit more sense. As they had changed the pronouns and wording for several characters, including Polonius, this is clearly something they were open to doing. I love that people are able to see themselves in Shakespeare’s works and want to carve out that space in the pantheon for themselves, but then take it all the way!

An element I did appreciate was the focus on male-perpetuated violence within the text. I think it’s something which gets frequently overlooked, and to see it exaggerated in this production really made me reconsider who’s side is correct to champion.

Gabbi Kosmidis is a stunning Hamlet, bringing a duality to the role which I always crave from the Danish Prince. Paul Stafford’s Claudius uses his strong stage presence to become a force to be reckoned with within Elsinore. Ashlie White brings a maternal and calm side to Gertrude, which makes you wonder if her fear of the violence from her current husband keeps her that way. I would have loved to have seen more of a shift in Jonnie Lombard’s Ophelia; usually the madness scene brings tears to my eyes and I think the difference could have been far more stark. Hannah Sunley-Paisley’s Polonius is as long-winded as ever, and I loved how many scenes she was randomly present for; it gives her an edge and a knowingness which I enjoy. Callan Forrester gives Horatio such a beautiful heart. Madeleine Storms and Hope Goudsward are a fun and intense Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (or is it Guildenstern and Rosencrantz? It’s my favourite gag in the show). Liam Brett’s Laertes is a little one note, though I did enjoy his unexpected flirtations with the staff. Andrew Pawarroo’s ghost is commanding, as is his role as the main travelling player. Jameson Mosher took over the role of Bernardo at the performance I saw, and was supported by Lizzie Song’s Marcellus and the rest of the cast.

Taking on one of Shakespeare’s plays is a monumental task, taking on a behemoth like Hamlet is practically herculean, especially for a company’s first production. Hamlet, Sweet Prince provides a great group of performers the chance to flex their Shakespearean muscles and I look forward to seeing what comes next!

There’s one performance of Hamlet, Sweet Prince tonight. For more information and tickets, visit: https://therestissilentsociety.thundertix.com/events/261446

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Cover Photo: Gabbi Kosmidis as Hamlet and Callan Forrester as Horatio. Photo by Matthew McLaren/Wut Storytelling.

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