A Review of Funky Jumper Productions’ Hamlet

Every Oxford Drama show has a unique reputation, for some it is excellence and for others it is the purely chaotic nature of the production. In the case of the Hamlet that was staged at the O’Reilly this week, it was not the iconic and ingenious use of marketing that has been commented upon or the vision of director Carys Howell. No, it was the fact that they lost Yorick’s skull on opening night that made this the most talked about show of term. After an impeccable opening night, the discussion of this show skyrocketed as the production team scrambled to find or replace the iconic prop. While this added no doubt to the marketing of the show on one level, I hope that people are also talking of the actors and the striking design choices as well!

I will be the first to admit that I have never seen the notable performance of Andrew Scott as Hamlet and therefore cannot draw the inevitable comparisons that audience members in that situation may have done. For me, this was a new presentation of the age old story, a modernisation more complete than many that I have seen both professionally and at Oxford. Beginning with a preset of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on their phones, we danced through a whirlwind of videocalls, phone calls staged between the balcony and the main performance area, news reports… All of this was well thought through and added to the overall feel of the show, definitely reworking the script with confidence and competence. Personally, I am not a fan of lengthy blackouts and scene changes, feeling that they draw an audience out of the suspension of disbelief, therefore the use of the news coverage during blackouts was an excellent choice and the best solution to scene changes that I have come across. I do hope that they turned the sound up slightly on the subsequent nights, however, as the volume was in places just a little too low to catch. Alongside the sound, one cannot ignore the lighting, with the clever imitation of fireworks and the relaying of Ophelia’s death being particularly notable.

In regards to the staging itself, the familiar raked seating of the O’Reilly was manipulated, the closest to an even thrust possible in the space being achieved. This unusual choice appeared to work well, or at least from the end on side it was a success. As with every element of the show, it was clear that Howell had really thought through each decision made and felt that this set up would work best for the vision. I could go on, but with such a large ensemble cast, I feel it’s best to leave it at that and move on.

Hamlet… Where else does one begin? With the rivalry of Hamlet’s the term, I think there was a lot of curiosity to see what Josh Sneddon would bring to the role of one of literature’s earliest brooding protagonists. There is no doubt that the answer is a simple one: excellence. With a real awareness of the nuances of Shakespeare’s text, Sneddon inhabited the character with a powerful confidence throughout every stage of the arc. As the play progressed, it became clearer and clearer how perfect this casting choice was. Likewise, Nic Rackow’s Claudius was strong and believable, with the performance being undeniably compelling. If I am nit picking, his interactions with the other characters were more powerful than his monologues, but barely. The best interaction between these two came, of course, during their part within the audience, the face off from the front row as the players enacted Hamlet’s play being a striking moment from my seat two rows behind. Supporting this central antagonism was a collection of talented performers. The playful nature of Alice Wyles’ Ophelia as she interacted with both her brother and Hamlet was a perfect contrast for the later insanity that Wyles interpreted in a quiet but effective manner. In opposition to this, Flora Symington’s Polonius was wonderfully stiff, awkward and having one hell of a bad month.

Overall, this was a playful and stunningly well-designed production, with the many layers of creative skill coming together to produce a memorable and enjoyable evening. There were so many laugh out loud moments as well as the more serious descents into madness and depression. Perhaps there was the odd thing that was not quite perfect, some lines that were slurred rather than being completely articulate, but on the whole all of the marketing hype was undeniably justified. With a quick shoutout for the choice to not actually have a gun on stage – an unusual but effective decision – I will end by saying that the story of this production is certainly one worth telling and while there may have been something rotten in Denmark there was no such situation within the performance.