If you were one of the unlucky ones who couldn’t get a ticket for Teatro La Plaza’s sell-out Hamlet run at the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival, listen up. Your long-awaited second chance is here: the production opens tonight at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen, but it’s a fleeting visit. The show must end this Saturday.
When I reviewed this for The Quinntessential Review, I called it “bold, inventive,” and “joyous.” And for good reason. This is “not Shakespeare as you know it.” In fact, as I noted, calling it Hamlet “is probably a little cheeky” and “undersells a bold, inventive attempt to use the play as a springboard to something else entirely.”
A Profound, Joyous Reimagining
So, what makes it so special? This production, performed in Spanish with English subtitles, features an extraordinary cast of eight actors with Down syndrome. Director Chela De Ferrari doesn’t just stage the play; she and the cast interrogate it, using its central ‘To Be or Not To Be’ theme to explore what it means ‘to be’ in a world that so often excludes.
This is “not Shakespeare as you know it.” In fact, as I noted, calling it Hamlet “is probably a little cheeky” and “undersells a bold, inventive attempt to use the play as a springboard to something else entirely.”
The text is deftly woven with the cast’s own personal reflections, delivered through everything from rap and rock to candid conversation. As theQR review highlighted, the role of Hamlet itself is democratised: “the crown is passed from actor to actor, each bringing their own voice to Hamlet’s troubled introspection.”
A Play That Knows Its Own History
This is also a fiercely intelligent and playful piece of theatre. It’s acutely aware of its own history, featuring what my review called a “delightful dig at Laurence Olivier’s iconic portrayal” and even a video-call cameo from “a game Ian McKellen.”
It’s this “clever inversion of traditional theatrical power dynamics” that makes the production so compelling. It masterfully balances humour with gravity, building to a conclusion that, as I wrote back in 2024, “feels more like a festival than a funeral.”
This is also a fiercely intelligent and playful piece of theatre. It’s acutely aware of its own history, featuring what my review called a “delightful dig at Laurence Olivier’s iconic portrayal” and even a video-call cameo from “a game Ian McKellen.”
A Strictly Limited Run
This is a rare and welcome return to Scotland for a truly unique and life-affirming piece of international theatre.
Teatro La Plaza’s Hamlet runs at His Majesty’s Theatre from tonight, Thursday, 6 November, through Saturday, 8 November. The performance is one hour and 35 minutes with no interval. The Saturday matinee is a relaxed performance and will feature Makaton signing.
Featured Image: Hamlet – Credit Teatro La Plaza
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