Prague Shakespeare Company: Hamlet

About

Adapted and Directed by Guy Roberts
Czech translation and surtitles by Martin Hilsky

The EU Creative Europe Grant program is supporting a ground-breaking and historical theatre collaboration between the the Prague Shakespeare Company in Prague, Czech Republic, bremen shakespeare company in Bremen, Germany and The Odesa Academic Ukrainian Theater named after Vasyl Vasylko in Odesa, Ukraine to create a unique theatrical experience: the WE ARE HAMLET Project’s production of Shakespeare’s timeless classic: HAMLET.

HAMLET is a new multi-lingual, English-language based theatrical reimagining of William Shakespeare’s HAMLET created by an international company of diverse artists, theatre makers and educators collaborating together to enlighten, inspire, educate and entertain audiences under the direction of Guy Roberts, Artistic Director of PSC. 

HAMLET, by William Shakespeare, is the single play in the Western tradition that encompasses the central questions of existence that apply to all humans across social, political, economic, educational, environmental, religious and racial boundaries. The play examines the conflict between private versus public duty and the individual’s obligation to the self and the State. It is a quintessential European play rooted in classical principles of examining the essential questions – Who Am I? Why Do I Exist? What Must I Do? 

As literary scholar Harold Bloom remarked, Hamlet corresponds to “the invention of the human.” Hamlet is so universal, so acutely modern and so acutely now in the sense that it encompasses nearly every emotion and impulse—love, passion, betrayal, revenge, jealousy and despair—known to humanity and still driving us today. In a sense it is always a perfect time to do Hamlet because Hamlet has a marvelous capacity to electrify audiences with its startlingly true reflection of human experience.

When we understand Hamlet, we understand ourself. When we understand ourself then we can begin to understand and empathize with others as well. It is no accident that Hamlet is one of the most popular plays around the world and every country finds something within the play that speaks to their national character and temperament. By exploring Hamlet through a multiplicity of views and artistic sensibilities with a multinational and multilingual artistic company we seek to find the common experiences and humanity we all share across national boundaries and discover the truly European nature of the play and each other.

The audience’s experience of HAMLET the production will be entirely from Hamlet’s point of view. Only scenes and moments that Hamlet experiences will be presented. This will allow audiences and artists to live fully inside the world of the character and the challenges and issues faced by Hamlet. Additionally all the actors at various points will play the role of Hamlet – this will give the audience the experience of a multitude of Hamlets from many different viewpoints and sensibilities: female Hamlets, male Hamlets, young Hamlets, old Hamlets, Czech Hamlets, German Hamlets, British Hamlets, American Hamlets, Ukrainian Hamlets, etc. This unique opportunity highlights how in today’s world everyone is Hamlet and how everyone in Europe is asking ourselves who we are, who we want to be and what we must do collectively to achieve our goals and realize our potential as individuals and Europeans as part of a global community. 

Cast

Svea Auerbach: Hamlet & Polonius
Jessica Boone: Hamlet
Gregory Gudgeon: Hamlet & Horatio
Karel Hermanek ml.: Hamlet, Bernardo & Rosencrantz
Alina Katrechko: Hamlet & Ophelia
Renee Lamari: Hamlet & Ophelia
Tim Lee: Hamlet & Guildenstern
Taylor Napier: Hamlet, Marcellus & Laertes
Guy Roberts: Claudius
Erik Roßbander: Hamlet, Ghost, First Player, Lucianus, Priest & Fortinbras
Vera Timofeeva: Hamlet, Second Player, Player King & Gravedigger
Olena Zavhordinova: Hamlet & Gertrude 

Creatives

Director & Adaptation: Guy Roberts
Stage & Costume Designer: Heike Neugebauer 
Stage & Costume Designer: Ulrike Schimitschek 
Lighting Designer: Přemysl Janda
Composer: Patrick Neil Doyle
Composer: Ivan Zavgorodnii
Assistant Director: Martina Lübbing
Stage Manager: Renee Lamari
Shakespeare Consultant: Professor Paul Prescott
Touring Technican: Kai Henkhus 

Producers

Producers & Project Directors: Renate Heitmann, Tim Lee, Yulia Pivovarova, Oleksii Remishevskyi, and Guy Roberts
Project Coordinators: Oleksandr Samusenko
Administrator: Anna Aleff, Martina Lübbing