IN THE SHADDOW OF HAMLET

DECJI KULTURNI CENTAR
Belgrade, Serbia

IN THE SHADDOW OF HAMLET

Text: Irena Kraus based on William Shakespeare
Translation from Swedish: Vesna Stanišic
Directed by: Anja Suša
Stage design, costume design, billboard design: Ivana Vasic
Music: Igor Gostuški
Executive producer: Goran Joksic
Public relations: Ivana Teodorovic

Actors: Petar Bencina, Maša Dakic, Miloš Andelkovic, Vladica Milosavljevic, Mladen Andrejevic, Feda Stojanovic, Milan Pajic, Milan Tankosic

About the Play
Contemporary “Hamlet”, adapted by Swedish dramaturge Irena Kraus, is placed in the space of night, more precisely in the space between sleep and wake, in the space between childhood and youth, between generations…
Unlike Shakespeare’s, a bit older Hamlet, this Hamlet stands on the doorstep of the world of adults, an unknown and impenetrable territory for him. The entire play is based on the question whether this doorstep should be crossed over. And if it is even possible to stay on the safe side of childhood.  Does a safe side even exist today? In the center of the play there is a game, played by actors, with one another or one in front of the other, a game which ranges from completely harmless, as played by Hamlet and Ophelia, to dangerous “court” games, as played by the adults in Hamlet’s, as well as our world, manipulating their own children.
This Hamlet is designed for a young audience, the one still hesitant about going to the theater. He speaks a modern language, even though he looks very much like his famous namesake from the schoolbooks. This play can be a good model of communication between traditional dramatic texts and the contemporary audience, but also a bridge that would, for at least one brief moment, connect the children and the adults, and help them clearly see each other in the world full of meanness, cruelty and sorrow. In the world, which the young Hamlets wish to make better.

Duration: 75 min.
Age group: 10+

Festival Program 2012