Forget getting lost in “thou” and “thine.” Forget every Hamlet movie you’ve seen. Forget how complicated the characters have been portrayed in the past. Repertory Philippines’ take on Hamlet is simple but hardcore. Totally hardcore.
Hamlet is a story of revenge, ambition, madness. This 400-year-old Shakespearean tragedy haunts us till today, and Repertory Philippines gives it the freshness and edginess it deserves.
The cast is brilliant. Abso-friggin-lutely great. Five performances stood out greatly for me.
Niccolo Manahan portrays the young Hamlet, and he engages the audience in each tension his character faces. Niccolo presents us with the Hamlet madness we are familiar with but surprises with an innocence I never thought Hamlet could have.
Frances Makil-Ignacio portrays the strong Queen Gertrude. As always, she never fails to amaze with her flawless performance. Her Queen is far from being frail and needy. She injects into this royal role the sharp-edged persona most true to this ambitious Queen.
Bodjie Pascua portrays Polonius. He was absolutely fantastic. He portrayed Polonius’ befuddledness with such clarity and charm that I found this “tedious old fool” (as Hamlet calls him) quite endearing.
Cris Villonco is the gentle Ophelia. Her portrayal of Ophelia’s descent into madness was gripping and moving. Her little sung melodies were heartbreaking.
Jamie Wilson portrays Laertes, Polonius’ son and Ophelia’s brother. His Laertes is rough and callous, and when Ophelia spirals into madness, a glimpse of his vulnerability is witnessed and strongly felt by the audience.
The choreography is also to be commended. The stage is tiny — with the actors moving to and fro, and with the great fight scenes with real weapons, it was very likely one would trip or be hit by a dagger. But as the cast moved around the stage with precision, it was entertaining to watch them all make wide movements without hitting one another.
The sound may be something that needs to be evaluated. The cast uses ear piece microphones, and at the funeral scene, Hamlet’s mic went out! I was seated two rows away from the stage so I could still listen to his lines quite well, but what about all the others way back? The technical problem was thankfully addressed before the critical end scenes came.
Overall, Hamlet was one hardcore play. Stripped of old century costumes and infused with more edge than any Shakespearean play has ever had, you will get to understand Hamlet’s tensions and madness more, and get absolutely captivated by this brand new way of storytelling, in spite of all those “thous” and “thines.” 😉
Show Schedules:
February 1, 8, 15 (Fridays) – 8pm
February 2, 9, 16 (Saturdays) – 3:30pm & 8pm
February 3, 10, 17(Sundays) – 3:30pm
For tickets/ticket reservations call:
887-0710 or visit http://www.repertory-philippines.com
Ticketworld: 891-9999 or visit http://www.ticketworld.com.ph
Ticket Prices: P550.00, P350.00 and P250.00
All images by Jojit Lorenzo
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.