Review: THE DANCE FACTORY - DADA MASILO’S HAMLET, Sadler's Wells
Shakespeare's tragedy reimagined through the eyes of Ophelia
Dada Masilo died unexpectedly in 2024, at the age of 39. Her final work was HAMLET, now restaged by dancer Llewellyn Mnguni (who also plays Gertrude) and producer Suzette le Sueur (also costumes and lighting) Viewing the story of Shakespeare's play away from the Danish court and through the eyes of the women there: Gertrude, the Queen; Ophelia (Lehlohonolo Madise), a young woman beloved of Hamlet; and the various attendants, Masilo's vision pares the wordy drama down to a few key scenes and an African-infused rhythm and sensibility.
There are two Hamlets. Actor Aphiwe Dike, who opens the show with the "To be or not to be" speech, and dancer Tumelo Lekana. This suggests Hamlet's instability, reticence, and conflicted state of mind. If you know the Shakespeare play this dance version is inspired by, you'll be on board with this truncated romp through the key scenes - murder, marriage, mousetrap, nunnery, church, closet, madness, death.
Masilo's interviews about the gestation of HAMLET suggest she was very much focused on power and misogyny, while wishing to make the story accessible to those who are not familiar with the original play. Misogyny is certainly alive and well in this story - women are blamed at every turn, mistreated, and pushed into situations they cannot get out of.
Photo credit Lauge Sorensen
With a mix of classical, contemporary, and African dance styles, Masilo seeks symmetry and theatrics in her choreography. Her work is fast, witty, and often blackly comic. Her dance works, inspired by fairy tales and tailored to a black feminist lens, are revered across the globe. She was not new to Ophelia, either: her 2011 solo piece The Bitter End of Rosemary was about the character's descent into madness.
Despite the beauty of the settings, the urgency and emotional intensity of the dancing, and the occasional bits of dialogue to anchor the movement, I feel that if you come to this piece knowing nothing about Hamlet, you may find the plot bewildering and the numerous characters hard to define. An early sequence introducing Ophelia's family to court helps identify them, but combining the sycophants Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern with the players feels an odd choice.
Composer and musical director Thuthuka Sibisi has created a rich, acoustic score of opera, rhythm, beats, and chants. It informs moments such as Claudius (Thando Mgobhozi) trying to pray in the church to atone for the murder of his brother, and Ophelia's rough rejection by Hamlet, who, even after this, will not leave her alone, trying to touch her during the play-within-the-play.
Photo credit Lauge Sorensen
Masilo and The Dance Factory utilised themes of betrayal and gender fluidity in her HAMLET. The use of non-binary dancers enhances the piece and frames the question of patriarchy and power through a queer lens. Dancer and choreographer Mnguni brings a steel and sensuality to the part of Gertrude, Lekana's Hamlet suggests a softer core and questions the rigid masc/femme traditions.
Dado Masilo's HAMLET is a thoughtful work of deep beauty and clear commitment. For me, it left questions and made me think about the play in a different way, but the character of Ophelia didn't reach me in the same way that, for example, Francesca Mills's brilliant portrayal did at The National Theatre last year.
Dada Masilo's HAMLET runs at Sadler's Wells until 26 May
Photo credits: Lauge Sorensen
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