“Something is rotten in the state of Ottawa …”

Director’s Note
For over 400 years artists have been re-telling Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The play’s title has become synonymous with live theatre. Why is this? 

At its core, I believe this play tells the story of a young person who embarks on a quest for truth and loses themselves along the way. 

The play shows us a world that is built on a lie. Its ruler has committed a murder for the sole purpose of acquiring power. I always feel uneasy watching Claudius’ coronation speech, as he thanks the kingdom for embracing his hasty marriage. Surely something isn’t right here. But why won’t anyone speak up? 

As the story progresses, we learn that the characters inhabiting this world of lies prefer to remain in blissful ignorance. They remain silent because it benefits them to do so.  

This play is about a hero who refuses to remain silent. It’s about what happens when we dig beneath the surface and dare to ask the questions no one wants answered. And most importantly it’s about conjuring up the courage to act. 

I don’t view Hamlet as indecisive. Rather I see a human put in an impossible situation, pleading with those around them to prioritize the truth over self-fulfillment. In fact she seems to be the only one willing to act at all. That’s enough to drive you mad, isn’t it? 

So, why is this story re-told so often? Because the story of someone acting for the truth is one that seems to transcend history.  

To that end, in designing the show I wanted to create a world that wasn’t bound by the rules of history. Our resident designer Vanessa Imeson and I have re-imagined Denmark’s Elsinore as a fairytale.  

Pulling visual inspiration from picture books, Victorian Dolls, 17th century French courts, we wanted to create a world so fantastical that it can’t be real. Everywhere you look onstage you will see a bright and colourful veneer masking something under the surface.

And I ask you: what are the truths that lurk under the colourful surface of your world? 

Nicholas Leno
Artistic Director