By William Shakespeare
Edited by Fiona Laird (RSC, National Theatre)
Performed by Mark Lockyer
‘Mark Lockyer has absolute commitment and mastery of this timeless classic’ Rufus Norris. Artistic Director, Royal National Theatre
With all the characters played by one actor, stunningly simple staging, and all the language we love, we understand the play better than ever before.
Hamlet the tortured prince, mystified by his mother’s behaviour, grieving the death of his father and feeling the weight of responsibility to his country, tries to make sense of the world.
At turns ingenious, funny, poignant – and always entertaining, this Hamlet will move you and remain in your memory for a long time.
‘I cannot remember receiving Hamlet with more open ears and more abandon’ Rufus Norris, Artistic Director, Royal National Theatre.
In support of the National Youth Arts Trust
Fiona Laird is a director, writer, composer and lyricist of great stature. Fiona’s directing credits include The Merry Wives of Windsor at the RSC, Oh What a Lovely War, Guys and Dolls, Peter Pan and Frogs, all at the National Theatre, Stephen Fry’s Cinderella at the Old Vic her own play Beyond Belief in the West End and on Broadway, Twenty Men Singing for the Welsh National Opera, the World Premier of Arnold Wesker’s Longitude at Greenwich Theatre, Christmas Cracker at the Royal Festival Hall, and Aristophanes’ The Clouds in London, New York, Amsterdam and Delphi.
Mark Lockyer is a classical actor of considerable note, whose theatre credits include major roles in The Alchemist, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and The Taming of the Shrew all at the Royal Shakespeare company, Laertes in Hamlet at the Globe (dir. Mark Rylance), Malvolio in Twelfth Night at the Bristol Old Vic, and Good, Theatre of Blood, Bartholemew Fair, and Fuente Ovejuna at the National Theatre.
‘To see Hamlet through the lens of my experiences gives it a unique credence. Like Hamlet, madness was my enemy too. Hamlet never made it. And many others never make it, but I did. The least I can do is tell his story’
Reviews
★★★★ ‘A bewitching solo performance by Mark Lockyer, a masterclass in pacing and emotional clarity’ - The Guardian
‘This production is extraordinary. I cannot remember receiving Hamlet with more open ears and more abandon, such is Mark’s absolute commitment to and mastery of this timeless classic.’ - Rufus Norris. Former Artistic Director, National Theatre
★★★★ ‘A masterful show. The Play’s the Thing is an ambitious work, skillfully done. There cannot be too many performers who can make such a show work, but Laird has found one of the ones that can, Mark Lockyer is truly an excellent choice to bring her vision to life’ - The Upcoming
★★★★ ‘Mark Lockyer’s performance is a tour de force - This is a Hamlet as a tightrope act, balancing Shakespeare with bold reinvention, a masterclass in what theatre can achieve when talent, vision, and text collide’ - London Pub Theatres Magazine
‘A sharply crafted bare-bones solo take on Hamlet - director Fiona Laird and heroic solo cast member Mark Lockyer are to be congratulated for presenting the Bard’s best in such audience-pleasing style. Laird deserves every accolade for wielding the surgeon’s knife so effectively. It is excellent.’ - Everything Theatre
★★★★ ‘Mark Lockyer plays all the parts in The Play’s The Thing: A One Person Hamlet at Wilton's Music Hall. If ever there was a tour de force this is one. Not to be missed’ - Bill Russell, Reviewsgate
★★★★ ‘Masterful. Ambitious. Skilfully done. Mark Lockyer is truly excellent' - The Upcoming
