Review: HAMLET at Union Arts Center

"This above all: to thine own self be true."

There have been dozens (maybe hundreds!) of Shakespearean adaptations in Seattle in recent years, and it’s become rarer to see classic versions of source material. Ironically, a tried and true Hamlet, currently playing at Union Arts Center, feels refreshing. It gets to the nut of what makes Hamlet exceptional – it’s all about the craft.

Pitching the idea of seeing nearly three hour Shakespearean production when the weather is its most beautiful in Seattle is a tough sell, especially if you’re not already prone to the Bard. But maybe you saw Hamnet last year, so a staged Hamlet feels relevant and intriguing. If you’re deterred by the Elizabethan language, or the length, don’t be – Hamlet as a story is incredibly approachable, and has imbued itself into the cultural zeitgeist that, even with the florid language, one can follow generally what’s going on. But what helps Victor Pappas’ direction of Hamlet not feel like homework and feel truly gripping is the complexity and solemnity of the performances, especially Billy Finn’s titular Hamlet and Galen Joseph Osier’s Polonius. 

Lest we forget that it's spooky season, officially, and Hamlet is arguably the preeminent ghost play. A spirit (Shawn Belyea) presents himself to the prince of Denmark Hamlet — witnessed first by his loyal friend Horatio (Lamar Legend) — cryptically revealing information about Hamlet's father, the king, and his demise. This information confounds Hamlet and makes him go mad, or maybe at least appears to. Suspicious of Hamlet's spiraling behavior, King Claudius (Shawn Belyea) enlists two of Hamlet's childhood friends, Rosencrantz (Michael Nevarez) and Guildenstern (Jason D. Marr), to spy on him and report back. And no Hamlet is complete without its gravedigger (Galen Joseph Osier), whose darkly comic scene gives the audience one of the play's most famous images, and its most quotable line about a certain skull.

Billy Finn’s Hamlet snaps right after his interaction with the ghost. His portrayal is impish, perverse, manic, and flirtatious. His behavior feels put on: a rich, entitled prince toying with his Mother, Queen Gertrude (Anne Allgood), his Uncle, King Claudius (Shawn Belyea), and his love Ophelia (Tessa “Cricket” James). Slightly Roman Roy-ish from Succession. Playing insane convincingly is a craft; the success of this show rests on the richness of Hamlet’s performance, and Finn’s portrayal keeps this production fueled. The other pleasant surprise of a performance was Galen Joseph Osier’s Polonius, the king’s chief counselor. He is arrogant, long-winded, and loves to meddle. Osier’s interpretation is a little bumbling, oblivious, and also quite lovable and sweet. Ophelia’s deep love for her father is so much more believable because Osier made the audience love him too. Ophelia’s climactic conflict (is it possible to spoil a play this old?) just makes more sense when Polonius is this likable. And within the intimate context of the venue’s theater in the round, every death feels that much more devastating. 

The set design (by Pete Rush), though austere and brutalist, is quite fashionable: a chain link motif complementing cement benches and flooring. The silhouettes and shapes of the metal chain links strung from the ceiling suggest other set pieces such as doorways and chandeliers; purple and blue light gels (lighting by Connie Yun) give the chains more beauty, and help them feel, when the scene calls for it, less industrial and more jewel-like. Though ghosts and chainlink is more A Christmas Carol’s territory, It's an effective ambiance decision for a play about mental prisons.

The staged combat is another excellent piece of the play. There is a propensity to make a play’s sword play feel like a tight, choreographed sword dance rather than fighting. It doesn’t feel instinctive, or violent, or tense. But not so in this performance. Geoffrey Alm’s stage combat between Laertes (Morgan Gwilym Tso) and Hamlet actually feels like a sword fight in this show. Good stuff!

This production is just good, clean theater. Other than perhaps a few anachronistic costume choices at times (why was Horatio wearing a beanie?), there isn’t much bad to say about this production. It’s an incredibly approachable Shakespeare, a compelling play, and starts at the exact time it says on your ticket. The production I attended closed its doors at the show’s start time on the dot, so don’t be late! 

Hamlet performs at Union Arts Center through October 11th, 2026. For tickets and information, visit https://www.unionartscenter.org/hamlet/. 

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Upcoming Shows

Hamlet

9/19 - 10/11/2026