Play

William Shakespeare

Text adaptation by Lasha Bugadze, Levan Tsuladze

Directed by Levan Tsuladze
Scenography by  Levan Tsuladze
Costume Designer Nino Surguladze
Choreography by Tinatin Tsuladze
Consulting artist of martial arts - Bachana Chanturia
Musical adaptation by Zura Gagloshvili
Video installation by Nikoloz Machadze
Assistant to director Nino Kalandadze

Production team:

Head of production department - Archil Dvalishvili
Sound operator – Lia Shilakadze
Lighting operator - Tamaz Dudashvili
Tailors - Ketevan Jibladze, Ketevan Tserodze
Dresser - Ketevan Mamoiani. Tamila Jiqia, Nazibrola Chantladze, Nunu Beselia, Adelina Sologashvili
Props Managers  - Nino mchedlidze, Inga Mchedlishvili
Make - up artist - Marina kosenko
Buyers - Irakli Chumburidze, George Butliashvili
Technical staff  - Lasha Papiashvili, Tengiz Qedikoshvili, Zaza Dzagania, Elguja Kokolashvili, David Razmadze,Tamaz Gagnidze, Mamuka Tabucadze, Irakli Lomsadze, Dimitri lomsadze, Beqa Lomsadze, Alesandre Gamkrelidze, George Vishnevski, Robinzon Jeladze
Painter-decorator - Kakha Gongadze
Props maker  - Madlena Bukhrashvili
Carpenter - Revaz Kupradze
Carpenter, welder - Malxaz Dzaganashvili

About the performance:

Words, words, words...

In one of the scenes Hamlet appears with a book in his hand and when asked what he is reading, he replies with philosophical vagueness: ‘Words, words, words.’

What words he might be reading, one wonders.

Could it be the opening from John’s gospel: ‘In the beginning was the Word’? The words of the apostle who later wrote the Revelation, because Hamlet also perceives himself as the Horseman of the Apocalypse, even if only in Elsinore, the castle poisoned by crime and deceit, where the only weapon at his disposal to fight demons is telling the truth and unveiling the vice.

When everyone lies and no one wishes to face the truth, the entire hatred is directed towards the one who has the courage of speak out: it’s practically impossible to stand a person who constantly urges others to accept the reality as it is. It is akin to the fate of Cassandra who was cursed for her prophecy in Troy because nobody wished to believe her, or rather the objective reality: the Trojans crave victory while Cassandra predicts defeat, consequently, it’s not the Trojans’ belief that is unbearable but Cassandra’s prophecy!

So, could it be that Hamlet is reading Iliad in which, apart from other things, the blind poet described the tragedy of the wise Cassandra, proclaimed to be insane?

Or could it be that Hamlet is reading Aeschylus’ Oresteia, the story of Agamemnon’s son, his assassinated father, his murderess mother and her lover? Ultimately, the story of a boy who avenges his mother and uncle for murdering his father and then becomes the king of Mycenae?

The tragedy bears an uncanny resemblance to Hamlet’s story – there’s the murdered king, the deceitful mother and a ‘loving’ uncle. Without a doubt, Orestes is Hamlet’s twin brother, with the only difference that the Danish prince will never kill Gertrude, while Orestes executes Clytemnestra with no trace of remorse. The distance between these two decisions seems unsurmountable: Hamlet deliberates, only contemplating murder, while Orestes also reflects but doesn’t hesitate anymore.

It is unknown whether Hamlet was reading Euripides’ Orestes, where the author describes the life of a prince who lost his mind due to the murder committed by his mother and uncle. However, it’s highly probable that William Shakespeare had read the tragedy along with other important books, such as Aristotle’s Poetics, in which the great Greek philosopher discusses various ways of interpreting one and the same story. The ideas that have reached us from the depths of twenty-three centuries focus on how times change while we still tell the same story: the story of Orestes – Hamlet, where it is virtually impossible to say with certainty whether it is a person who is insane or it is the world that considers Hamlet insane.

Or are these nothing else but meagre words? Words, words, words...

Lasha Bughadze

The performance "Hamlet" was performed with the support of Georgian Industry Group, Hotel Chateau Mere and Hotel Cabadoni.

DATE OF PREMIERE: Jule  2, 2019
Duration: 200 minutes,  with one intermission
Ticket Price:  25  GEL - Parterre, 15GEL - Balcony