March 13, 2025
The title role in Shakespeare’s enduring tragedy Hamlet is on the bucket list for many actors wishing to challenge their range of emotions while offering their own interpretation of the iconic role. And in his new solo play, Hamlet (Solus), creator and performer David Melville (pictured), co-founder of Independent Shakespeare Co., plays all the roles while intertwining the text with original songs. I decided to speak with David about his interpretation of the role he has played many times, including why he decided to stress the grief in the story as well as making (the skull of) Yorick an important character, and how the production evolved.