Hamlet the Actor (Sung, 2012)

Hamlet the Actor

Synopsis: Having heard from the Ghost that Claudius murdered his father, Hamlet performs a play “The Murder of Gonzago” in front of Claudius and Gertrude. This play within a play convinces Hamlet that Claudius is guilty of the murder. After that, he prepares another play, called “rehearsal of revenge,” starring himself.

Hamlet and two professional players, Campbell and Sara, perform this play, playing multiple roles as Hamlet, Ghost, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, and Polonius. This play perfectly matches up with the original story of Hamlet.

Even though Hamlet is satisfied with this play at first, he becomes embarrassed by it because the play gradually deviates from his intentions. Watching as his revenge play heads towards a tragic ending, Hamlet cries “Stop it. That is not what I wanted.” But the players can’t stop their performance, saying, “The play continues regardless of our intention.” As it is known, Hamlet’s play ends in the deaths of Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, and Hamlet himself.

After finishing the play, Hamlet returns to reality where he has yet to perform anything.

Title: Hamlet the Actor

Director: Sung Chon-mo

Adapter: Sung Chon-mo

Company: MJ Company

Venue: Jayu Theater at Seoul Arts Center (date: March 13 ~ May 6, 2012)
City: Seoul

Style: Metatheatrical experiment

Cast:
Hamlet: Lee Ho-Hyup/ Ryu Ji-whan
Sara (player): Jo Sun-joo/ Jung Soo-young
Campbell (player): Seo Hyeon-woo

Staff:
Stage Design: Park So-young
Lingting: Park Sung-soo (Jayu)/ Hwang Dong-kyun (Daehakro)
Costume: Park Eun-ji
Mask Design: Park Eun-ji
Music: Aev