Hamlet, Summer Shakespeare 2019
Award-winning director David O’Donnell, from the Faculty’s Theatre programme, explores the universality and continuing relevance of Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy by featuring Hamlet performed by a woman. David says, “Shakespeare wrote at a time when women did not perform on the professional stage. Yet not only did he write many powerful female roles, he frequently wrote cross-dressed characters and played with gender-bending themes. A female Hamlet reinforces the relevance of Shakespeare’s greatest writing to all of humanity, not just half of it.”
Stevie Hancox-Monk is performing the title role. An alumna of the Theatre programme, Stevie says that working with David has been “an absolute dream. [His] calm but fiery energy brings something special to the rehearsal room. He and Lori Leigh together are an incredible directing force. Hamlet is a marathon of a part, and one I am so humbled to play. My training at Victoria University has been instrumental in building my skill base as an actor.”
Other Victoria University connections include Dr Lori Leigh (director of the Theatre programme) as Assistant Director and Dramaturg, and a number of Theatre programme alumni in key roles, including Mitch Tawhi Thomas as Claudius, Maggie Leigh White as Gertrude and Jenny Nimon as Ophelia. In fact, over two thirds of the cast (and half of the crew) of the production are University students or alumni.
Lori explains that the University's Theatre programme has been feeding into Summer Shakespeare since the production's inception in 1983: “Our students and alumni get the rare chance to spend their entire summer learning and growing together to collaborate on a work of art that is a palpable community force.”
Hamlet runs from 15 February to 2 March at the Dell in the Wellington Botanic Gardens.