Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Synopsis

Intelligent comedy based on two minor characters from Hamlet. The play turns the spotlight onto the apparently inconsequential experiences of the two minor courtiers in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They are by turn comic, tragic and philosophical as they try to make sense of the pointless and arbitrary nature of their own existence.

Our Review:

7 February 2007

The great thing about Tom Stoppard’s affectionate comedy featuring two supporting characters from Hamlet is that you do not need to brush up on your Shakespeare to enjoy the humour or the play itself.

Think of Ricky Gervais’ Extras, in that the unsung heroes within the text featuring the Great Dane are now the major stars. As they guide you through their weird and wacky world, you view the Bard’s work from completely different angles. You see Ophelia, Polonius and co but they are from the twosomes’ point of view.

Stoppard’s enduring hit requires two strong actors with buckets of chemistry and the ability to fire on all cylinders, in terms of comic timing. Leigh Symonds and Graeme Hawley are great friends in real life, and it shows as they make a supreme double act, constantly on stage – juggling the complexities of the ingenious script and displaying a real affinity for the material.

The other 11 players rarely get a look in; the tables are tu...

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