The Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society brings ‘Hamlet’ to the Empress Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13.
William Shakespeare’s most-performed play comes to the Empress Theatre stage on Saturday, Aug. 13.
Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society will present Hamlet at 7:30 p.m.
“Pretty much everybody who speaks English throughout the world has at least heard of Hamlet,” producer Kate Connolly said. “I do think it’s a very challenging and worthwhile play.”
Written by Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601, Hamlet is set in Denmark and depicts Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet’s father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet’s mother.
The society has performed several times at the Empress, staging Romeo and Juliette, Macbeth, The Tempest, and The Comedy of Errors.
The COVID-19 pandemic kept the cast and crew away from the Empress for two years.
“We are so delighted to be coming back to Fort Macleod,” Connolly said. “It’s always one of our most favourite venues.”
Hamlet, directed by Shelley Scott, a professor at the University of Lethbridge, has been shortened to about 90 minutes from its full length, which can run 3 1/2 hours.
Connolly said it was important to keep the performance to a more manageable timeframe, particularly since many audiences will be viewing it outdoors.
“It still has all Shakespearian language in it, it has all the most important characters of course, and all the interactions,” Connolly said. “Just a lot of the speeches are cut down a lot. Audiences still recognize many of the phrases.”
Jesse Thibert leads the cast as Hamlet, with Darrell Croft playing both the ghost and grave digger, John Poulsen as King Claudius, Emily Laidlaw as Queen Gertrude, and Ben McLuskey as Horatio.
David Burton is Polonius, Cole Fetting is Laertes, Avery Raine is Ophelia, Ginny Bergsma is Rosencrantz, and Stephanie Wickham is Guildenstern.
Jessica Nguyen fills the roles of Marcellus, Player Poisoner and priest, Lucas Kramps is Bernardo and Player King and Autumn Adrian is Voltimand, Player Queen and Osrie.
The society will stage 17 performances of Hamlet at venues such as Galt Gardens, Legacy Park, Casa Plaza, Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, the Coutts Centre near Nanton, High River and the Empress Theatre.
The final performance is 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 at Galt Gardens.
Katrina Holoboff as assistant director, Melissa Cadick as stage manager and Mary-Lynn Mubly as associate producer and also in charge of props and front of house.
Amanda Epp is in charge of costume design and construction, Keith Miller is fight choreographer,
Luc Toupin is sound designer and technician with sound assistants Eli Dueck, Stephanie Savage and Megan Epp.
Stephanie Savage is in charge of promotions and social media and Tess Hammerstedt is in charge of program and Web site.
Taking on Hamlet has been a rewarding challenge for the Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society.
Even in its shortened version, Hamlet is striking a chord with audiences.
“It moves along fairly quickly,” Connolly said. “It’s not a heavy, heavy, grim performance by any means. I think our Fort Macleod audience will really enjoy it.”
