Hamnet

 

When: 18th November 2023 (Matinee)

Where: Garrick Theatre London

Writer: Lolita Chakrabarti (Adapted from the novel by Maggie O'Farrell)

Director: Erica Whyman 

I am back after a fairly long hiatus. I have had a lot of Uni work and have struggled finding the time, but after seeing this play yesterday I have felt inspired to try and find the time to write these again. 

I always used to love every play I saw. I loved theatre so I just enjoyed being there and watching something, but recently I have found it a lot more difficult, I've found myself over analysing and not allowing myself to just enjoy it. Yet, when watching Hamnet it restored my joy in theatre. 

I've never been one to trust reviews, many of my favourite performances were absolutely slated by the press. For Hamnet I remember the public being really eager to get tickets when it was first announced, but when the reviews came out they sort of just said, 'yeah, its okay'. After seeing it, I actually think what they meant is, 'yeah it's a good bit of theatre but they didn't use any quirky contemporary elements. It was just a play telling a story.' Well, for me this pure storytelling is absolutely what made this play so brilliant. They didn't faff around or try to be clever they told us a story that was purely captivating. 

When entering the auditorium, the first thing you notice is the set, it's the first impression you get of what might be about to unfurl before you. The set in this play was really effective, the raw wood everywhere was highly evocative of traditional trades, but interestingly enough, a trade that neither family in the story was employed in, creating a somewhat neutral space. This neutral space also meant it was malleable. Deceptively simple set was brought on and off, a few tables, a bed made of pallets and then eventually the whole Globe stage, all made off the same wood and used effectively within the performance. But the greatest thing about the set, was the way it developed. We started in a barn, then a house, then the ladders were leant to form an A and we were transported to the annexe, with a loft for sleeping just like in Shakespeare's house in Stratford. And eventually to London, where bridges were leant down completing the balcony surrounding the stage. Where balustrades were added and a platform brought on stage and the globe becomes fully formed in front of you. When the audience finally realise they are building the globe you can feel a moment of elation rise in the auditorium. 

These 'geeky' moments were littered throughout the play, with scenes from Shakespeare's plays being rehearsed on stage, to speech dropped casually into conversation that sounds too similar to famous Shakespeare quotes to be a coincidence. We couldn't help but laugh at the dramatic irony of it all. 

It's hard for me to talk about the acting, because for once I forgot they were actors. I didn't notice the techniques used or analyse the acting choices they made, because I just saw the characters in front of me. I think that says a lot about the effectiveness of all the performances. I want to shout out Madeline Mantock, because this whole piece relied on her and without her incredible performance as Agnes the play would have been no where near as enthralling. 

I also thought the lighting and sound was highly effective. It was actually used very minimally, but there were two recurring motifs that kept appearing throughout the piece. One was the Hawk, whilst we never saw the bird we knew it was there. The lighting would shine through a faint gobo creating the slight remnants of a barn window, before sweeping round, the actors eyes following watch this now fully formed bird fly around the space before them. Highly immersive and yet so simple. The other was the whispers of the children. This was perhaps the only element of the play that was somewhat surreal and with a slight fantastical edge. Before her children were born Agnes could hear them playing with each other and talking to her. We would also often see them running around as the voiceover took place. Again this was so simple and yet it felt like we as an audience were experiencing her visions with her. 

Finally the story, the guiding force of the play, so expertly crafted. Whilst it is a story about Agnes, Shakespeare's wife, so little is known about her this is not necessarily based on real life but I think it could be argued that this is a truth. Whilst there are fantastical elements, what I found so fascinating reading into it a little is that all of this story is embedded in a truth or narrative that is a primary source. For example in the programme Maggie O Farrell discusses her inspiration for Agnes's knowledge of medicinal herbs. She explains that the inspiration for this all came from the character of Ophelia in Hamlet, she say's "I like to imagine Shakespeare writing that scene with Ophelia and not really knowing which herbal cures did what. How would he know? Maybe he had to ask Agnes - maybe she contributed to that scene." She also then goes on to explain that she liked the idea of Agnes, whilst being judged for not being able to read and write, having skills and knowledge in other areas proving you don't have to be educated to be intelligent. This along with historical readings on wives having medicinal gardens during the period, provides a strong based in which to build up this character. At no point does the author claim this is what she believes as true, she is simply telling a story. A story that is so interwoven with truth that it becomes real and fully believable. I know that much of this is down to the original novelist Maggie O'Farrell, but I also think Lolita Chakrabarti enhances the way this truth was portrayed on stage. The story lends itself so well to stage, but not everything can be shown in such a short period of time. Yet, Chakrabarti translation of the piece makes it feel effortless. The story feels full and engaging and the perfect pacing keeps us moving at a speed that allows us to feel the emotions of a scene without getting stuck in a moment. 

Overall, I absolutely adored this play, bringing it back to the basics of brilliant storytelling reminds you of the experience theatre can give you that no other art form can. The essence of being physically captivated by a truth taking place before your very eyes.