What is Hamlet if not a man that stands alone and, in his isolation from others, tries to discover truth where validation is impossible?
If you think about it this way, perhaps the idea of A One Man Hamlet, an adaptation that pieces together most of Hamlet’s monologues and soliloquies into a one man show, isn’t so strange. Instead it is an experiment that redirects all of the audiences’ focus on Hamlet’s experience; it attempts to illuminate Hamlet’s feelings of isolation and his growing obsession with the ghost’s message. The omitted scenes highlight the existence of all the things that Hamlet does not know and immerse the audience in Hamlet’s perspective.
This is an ambitious idea, to say the least, but one that is unfortunately not supported by consistently great acting. Will Bligh, who plays Hamlet, is very energetic and clearly committed to what he is doing. However, he also appeared to be slightly nervous. His delivery was generally too rushed, which meant it was sometimes difficult to understand what he was saying. At other times he jumbled up a word and had to say it again, which shattered the illusion that the words were spontaneously springing into his mind. It was at these moments that ‘seeing’ the people he was talking to, as opposed to merely filling up the gaps, was challenging.
However, brilliant moments of insight occurred when he relaxed and slowed down his pace. The changes in his facial expressions and physicality when different characters entered the scene almost made them visible to the audience. His interaction with Ophelia and his father’s ghost were particularly effective, and even beautiful. His initial softness towards Ophelia and subsequent harshness conjure an image of her innocence and desperation; the ghost, portrayed by Hamlet to suggest all sorts of interpretations, seems to appear from hell itself thanks to the lighting that transforms Bligh’s face. At these moments Bligh’s acting rendered the sound cues that designated a character’s entry, and jarred with the general aesthetic, superfluous.
This show is based on a good idea and Bligh undoubtedly has some of Hamlet within him. Perhaps the show’s issues are only a matter of fine-tuning details and allowing what is already there to manifest itself. However, as things stand, the production falls one word short of being Hamlet.
