RSC Partners with Cornwall Amateurs
Amateur actors have been sharing the stage with professionals from the Royal Shakespeare Company in their reimagined "Hamlet" at the Hall for Cornwall. This unique partnership model has given local performers the opportunity to work alongside RSC talent, enriching both the production and the region's arts scene.
This production of "Hamlet" kicked off its national tour in Truro, a significant booking for the Hall for Cornwall. The reimagined setting places the drama on a cruise ship, described as a "ship of state" or a "ship of fools," with a monumental, lurching deck designed by Es Devlin, known for her work with artists like Beyonce and U2. The professional cast is led by Ralph Davis in the title role, with Rupert Goold directing the production. The creative team also includes video designer Akhila Krishnan and costume designer Evie Gurney, who captured a late-Edwardian aesthetic for the doomed voyage. The amateur actors involved are part of Shakespeare Nation, a community program run by the RSC and partner theaters to engage people with little to no experience of Shakespeare. These local performers, with ages ranging from 18 to 80, presented their own short "curtain-raising" pieces inspired by Hamlet before the main professional performance. The collaboration between the Hall for Cornwall and the RSC is part of a partnership spanning over a decade. This initiative has also focused on transforming how Shakespeare is taught in local schools, using RSC rehearsal techniques. The RSC has a history of engaging with amateur performers. A previous initiative, Open Stages, started in 2011 and involved nearly 300 amateur theatre companies and over 10,000 participants in workshops and masterclasses. In 2022, 74 adults from six regions, including Cornwall, performed alongside professionals in a production of "Henry VI: Rebellion".
