The production revolves around Hamlet’s viewpoint, as a “young man who must face the trauma caused by the sudden, unexpected death of his father – the King of Denmark and therefore a hero, model and moral compass all at once – and his mother’s wedding to his uncle, the throne’s usurper, a mere few weeks after the father died.”
As soon as the play begins, the prologue discloses the young man’s troubled thoughts to the audience, giving constant access to them throughout the performance. Scene after scene, the viewers are witnesses to the struggle within Hamlet’s bursting head and heart, while the young man becomes persuaded that theatre is the weapon which will allow him to expose betrayals and discover the truth. Yet everything turns out to be pure and raw reality: theatre is not enough to change the world, and yearning for revenge becomes the absolute priority.
Ivo Van Hove is tackling one of his favourite subjects: the path of a young person descending into utterviolence. He worked with a reduced number of performers, with some of them playing several roles, adding to the main character’s confusion, resulting in a pared-down, raw production of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

NEW PRODUCTION

Translated by Frédéric Boyer
Adapted by Ivo Van Hove and Bart Van den Eynd

Translation: Frédéric Boyer
Adaptation: Ivo Van Hove and Bart Van den Eynde
Direction: Ivo Van Hove
Dramaturgy: Bart Van den Eynde
Set and Lighting Design: Jan Versweyveld
Costumes: An D'Huys
Original Music: Roeland Fernhout
Sound: Pierre Routin
Video: Claudio Cavallari
Choreographic Work: Rachid Ouramdane
Assistant Director: Laurent Delvert
Set Design Assistant: Christophe Eynde
Costume Assistant: Belza Beausoleil
Lighting Assistant: François Thouret

And
Vincent Breton: Comédien
Pierre-Victor Cabrol: Comédien et Fossoyeur
Aksel Carrez: Comédien et Prêtre
Arthur Colzy: Comédien et Courtier
Nicolas Verdier: Comédien et Fossoyeur

Filmed sequences
Christian Gonon: un ambassadeur