TACKLING ELIZABETHAN WITH HAMLET Peeking through the wings was hardly sufficient to appreciate the angelic vocals of Philippa Gray, the great comic timing of Suzannah Bourke’s Polonius (the character working so well as a woman in this production) and Kathryn Desmier’s cruelly put-upon Ophelia, played with touching sensitivity. Menace and mystery were heightened by Louis Le’s (Year 12) ghostly King and Ben Finney’s (Year 12) vicious Claudius both played with superb articulation and character. James Thorn (Year 11) played great depths of grief as Laertes, Soldiers looked capable, Ladies-in-Waiting attentive, with travelling players and various supernumeraries helping flesh out the busy castle providing much colour and energy.
This autumn, the senior thespians of Camberwell Grammar School and Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College took to the stage to perform William Shakespeare’s timeless tale of Hamlet. Under the direction of Mr Stocker, our 28 strong cast embarked on a four-month journey of rehearsals. Retelling the tragedy of Hamlet was no easy task, with concentration and diction being the cornerstones required to tell the story, not to mention the task of tackling Elizabethan English.
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The cast had to control bouts of hysterical laughter at the antics of the comedic Gravedigger duo Coulston Waycott (Year 12) and Michael Campbell (Year 11), and the ‘peacock preening’ Osric, played by Joe Grimley (Year 12). The fact that we were in the wings restricted us from laughing too loudly, but we could hear the similar impact these comic intervals had on the audience. Of course, the highest of accolades must be reserved for Spike Johnson (Year 12), Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Spike delivered an assured performance, testament to
the hours of additional work undertaken to bring his character to life and learn the lines, with soliloquies securely delivered. The electric bed-chamber scene with the shockingly violent Hamlet, and Gertrude, played at that moment with hysterical emotion by Anika Kelly, was awkward to watch in its portrayal of domestic violence. Hamlet in this production was a deeply flawed individual. In the last scene of the play, Spike and James entertained us with a thrilling, complex and seemingly dangerous sword fight, with myself as Voltemand stepping in, (as well as a couple of others, to protect the king), which was meticulously choreographed by Fight Director Thomas Stockdale. Phillip Alex (Year 11) as Prince Fortinbras closed the show with noble poise. The professionalism and commitment of the cast and crew resulted in an outstanding three show run. Well done to everyone on a successful show season. Aidan Chu Captain of Drama
