Review: ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an existential, absurdist tragicomedy written by Tom Stoppard, which takes place 'in the wings' of Shakespeare's Hamlet, expanding upon the exploits of courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The central characters are trapped in the waiting game of death and watch events unfold in Hamlet's life and psyche which they hadn't seen before, and they are full of Questions.

Directed by Rebecca Murphy, the piece echoes the tones of likeness to Beckett's Waiting for Godot, with both featuring a duo killing time as they wait for someone to arrive to give them purpose. The casting was superb; Ellen Hardisty (Rosencrantz) and Paige Poulier (Guildenstern) who complimented each other perfectly. Hardisty's held effortless stillness to bring to life Rosencrantz's contemplative nature and his wretchedness. Whereas, Poulier had a natural, unflagging buoyancy which worked in accordance with Guildenstern's no-nonsense sense of leadership, his homely sense of pre-eminence and his ability to control his swelling vexation. But the highlight was Colin Smith and his acting troupe, who stole the show with their minimalistic, but very well comically timed mannerisms and who moved bonelessly across the space. I found myself waiting for when they would come on stage once more, just like the titular characters were waiting for their fate to be sealed. Although I could hardly understand a word of King Claudius, the characters exiting in and out of the narrative was a nice touch and a highlight was when a possum ran across the amphitheatre.

One of my favourite images in the show was the creation of the ship, which stretched out into the amphitheatre. It was a very clever idea to have an umbrella as the head of the ship which reflected the light. However, in terms of the technical aspects of the production, the transitions between different sets was very messy, especially the moving on and off of the barrels in the dark. And when the characters started talking in the dark while the cast members were still moving the barrels, it broke the spell that the characters had put on the audience. Additionally, Act One and Two ended quite abruptly, there was no music fade out and no sense of closure between the audience and performers. The costume design was also lacking in imagination and seemed very mismatched and tacky, especially the watermelon socks.

Overall, the production is one to see for the narrative and sensational acting.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Directed by Rebecca Murphy

Presented by Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble

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