Murder, paranoia, madness and deceit. William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ is one of his most well known and feared productions. Such an intense production that within the theatre world there is a long held superstition that holding the infamous skull of Yorick is said to curse and ruin the lives of any actor who dares use such a prop in the scene. Thus setting a production of Hamlet is a mighty task, and as the chosen Shakespeare on the 2019 Leaving Certificate syllabus it was a task we faced. Our Shakespeare productions involve members of all ages, ranging from our youngest workshop participants aged 12, all the way to members of our Senior Ensemble, aged as old as 20. For our 2019 production of Hamlet, directed bY Artistic Director Peter Hussey, it was a pseudo-modern production featuring modern technology and props whilst maintaining the original script. Headlined by Sean Dowse as Hamlet, the production featured detailed projected backdrops and of course, the infamous skull of Yorick which came down from the sky in a complicated set piece. The production was for six shows, three special matinées for all the local Leaving Cert students to attend, and three evening productions – all in the Riverbank Arts Centre.
Promotional trailer released in the run-up to the production:
A full, edited performance of the production:
Separate video for individual scenes:
Act 3 Scene 1:
