Hamlet. You've seen it before, and you'll see it again. Why? Because each production mines something different from Shakespeare's timeless tragedy. In the terrific SBTS version, Rhys Bevan-John is part sullen, sarcastic youth and part self-doubting man. He brings a wonderful intensity to the character and delivers the many so-familiar lines with unique twists that had me pondering on and reconsidering their meaning. The doddering Polonius, as rendered by Marty Burt, is a much more likeable and relatable character than I've seen before and Ian Deakin's Claudius is more a horribly flawed human than over-the-top monster. Emma Laishram is a spunky Ophelia and Kimberley Cody as Gertrude perfectly captures a woman's struggle to be true to child, husband and self. This production is beautifully staged in the Cambridge Battery, and has earned a memorable place in a lifetime of Hamlets.
To Aug 31, Cambridge Battery, Point Pleasant Park, $20 or pwyc
