Hamlet: Rotten States

Three gypsy players arrive in town, answering the call of a prince. It could be the beginning of a fairy tale, but alas, Hamlet’s in a rotten state. A dead father, a murderous uncle, and an adulterous mother. All eyes are on him as he falls apart and threatens a fragile and corrupt government. Hamlet has hired this band of mischievous storytellers to perform a story of corruption, lust and murder most foul. He should be careful what he wishes for; once these rotten players get their hands on a story there’s no telling where it’ll go… Cue a blistering reworking of Hamlet, performed by only three actors. Shakespeare’s longest play is reduced to a furious 75 minutes, full of ingenious theatricality and black comedy. 6FootStories return to The Hope with a follow-up to their acclaimed interpretation of Macbeth. They irreverently play with form and style as the gypsy players take charge, and as Hamlet makes his descent into madness, they make wicked farce of the rotten state of Denmark. The play’s the thing, and the player is king.