REVIEW: IZZARD: THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET Is A Phenomenal Solo Retelling Of Shakespeare’s Play

Wednesday 10th June 2026, 7pm, Playhouse, Sydney Opera House

Suzy Eddie Izzard brings her one woman show IZZARD: THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET to stun Sydney audiences.  Visting Sydney as part of her World Tour of the work that had a triple-extended run in New York, along with seasons in Chicago and London, this is a captivating piece of theatre that tells the story of the Prince of Denmark with creativity and clarity while honouring the original 16th Century performance style.

Listed as William Shakespeare’s longest work, Suzy Izzard’s brother Mark Izzard has adapted The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, into a more palatable 140 minutes (including interval) while retaining 23 characters, all to be presented by Suzy Izzard on a bare stage.  Directed by Selina Cadell, this work relies on Suzy’s ability to create the different characters, often holding both sides of a conversation at once, with variations ranging from physical shifts, a change in her tone and accent, or more subtle movements and facial expressions.  With characters weaving in and out of the story Selina and Suzy have included reoccurring themes of posture, pace and position to enable changes to be easily understood without having to restate when a character ‘returned’ to the stage or announce scenes had changed. 

While, in the style of the original Elizabethan era performances, Suzy breaks the fourth wall immediately to remind the audience that though she is well known for her talents as a comedian, this production stays true to the source material as a tragedy, but she does state there will be moments of levity.  Suzy’s ability to express the highs and lows of the tale with a clarity that can often be lost in productions of Shakespeare’s plays that try to ‘show off’ is a testament both Suzy and Mark’s understanding of the source material and the importance they place on telling the story and ensuring the audience can understand it easily.

Mark has ensured that the iconic lines have been retained, and Suzy delivers them so they serve the story while showcasing her ability to interpret the text and create her own unique performance.  Suzy also balances the heavy themes with wonderful comedic choices that are met with roars of laughter.  Her use of the space and her ‘choreography’ is brilliant including an incredibly dynamic fight scene. 

IZZARD: THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET is a wonderful opportunity to see such a skilled performer take an iconic story and present it a new and unique way.  Suzy Izzard delivers an easy to follow expression of the work that has had many incarnations over the centuries, while also connecting the work to its origins of a bare stage performance relying on the performer to provide enough information to allow the audience’s imagination to fill the gaps.  Highly recommended.

Izzard: The Tragedy of Hamlet | Sydney Opera House

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