Shakespeare’s large-scale stage work has been transferred to the performance of one actor, which allows the audience to engage in a conversation about theater, life, history and relationships by acting out the situations that form the dramatic core of Hamlet, informs Kristīne Timermane, representative of the Cultural Development Society “Tapala lapa”.
“No classic dramaturgical composition – regardless of whether it is included in the curriculum or not – cannot be viewed in isolation from today’s context. “Hamlet” is a work that does not lose relevance as generations change and always manages to reveal something true and important about today,” says actor and director Eric Wilson, adding,
“I think that this play is one huge mystery, which is rooted in us and makes us think about the essentials – why we are at this time, what we are doing, and why we live at all!”
This will be the third mono-performance produced by the Cultural Development Association “Tapala lapa”, which was created by father and son – Erik and Robert Wilson – as director and playwright.
“If, together with Eric, staging the mono-performance “R. Blaumaņi’s Prodigal Son”, I learned to juggle two balls, then now, working on “Hamlet”, I am already juggling three. And Eric juggles too. He must be able to keep his attention on several characters of the play at the same time, catch them, throw them in the air, but not forget them in flight,” says Robert Wilson about the collaboration.
Both agree that in the process of making any show, you never know what will come of it. However, mono performance is a special genre, because the audience becomes the partner of the actor’s game. “I’m really looking forward to the dress rehearsal stage, because a show can only be born through interaction with the audience,” says Eric, and Robert adds:
“We are convinced that the main raw material of the theater experience is the viewer’s imagination.”
The mono-play “Hamlets” has received support both in the competition of the State Cultural Capital Fund’s target program “Creation of the content of the program “Latvijas skolas soma”” and in the “Liepāja cultural project competition 2022”.
Thanks to the support of the Liepāja Culture Board, six mono performances will be performed in Liepāja schools from February 21 to 28. On the other hand, starting from March, the mono performance will be available to young people all over Latvia.
Entrance to the premiere is free.
