An Ex Machina and Côté Danse Production
Co-produced by Dvoretsky Productions
Directed by
Robert Lepage
Choreographed by
Guillaume Côté
Based on the work by William Shakespeare
Dancers
Guillaume Côté, Greta Hodgkinson, Natasha Poon Woo, Bernard Meney, Carleen Zouboules, Lukas Malkowski, Robert Glumbek, Connor Mitton, Willem Sadler
Composer
John Gzowski
Lighting Designer
Simon Rossiter
Costume Designer
Michael Gianfrancesco after Monika Onoszko
Set And Props Designer
Vanessa Cadrin
Creative Director
Steve Blanchet
Creative Assistant + Rehearsal Director
Anisa Tejpar
Assistant Stage Director + Stage Manager
Félix Dagenais
Production Manager
Nadia Bellefeuille
Technical Director
Antoine Caron
Expanding on their shared love for Shakespeare and the triumph of their previous collaboration (Frame by Frame), choreographer Guillaume Côté and stage director Robert Lepage have joined forces once again to tackle a formidable task: conveying the intricate tale of Hamlet without the use of words. Instead, they employed movement and music, smoke and mirrors, light and shadows, symbolic props and imaginative set design to immerse the audience in a world of deceit, where ghosts and humans coexist. Performed by nine dancers, this production of Hamlet skillfully portrays pivotal moments from the renowned play, preserving its inherent power while making it accessible to a wide range of viewers. Through this intense metaphoric reimagination of Shakespeare’s drama, the performance draws a fine line connecting movements of the body with what may or may not be lurking within the corners of the mind.
A first draft of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark premiered at Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur on July 26, 2023.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark premiered April 3-6, 2024 at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre, presented by Show One Productions.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is supported by the Toronto Arts Council with funding from the City of Toronto.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a co-production of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a co-production of Marin Sorescu, National Theatre and Shakespeare Foundation, Craiova
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark was developed with the support of TO Live.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark was developed in collaboration with the National Creation Fund at Canada’s National Arts Centre
“Their new Hamlet, though billed as a first draft, already in its present form made a dramatic impact that often captured the emotional tenor of Shakespeare’s famously complicated play.”
– Victor Swoboda, Dance International
“Côté’s choreography leaned heavily on balletic athleticism — turns, jumps, lifts, extensions — used purposefully, it must be said, not simply to impress.”
– Victor Swoboda, Dance International
“Two hours of pure enchantment, set in a time space where emotion, ritual and metaphor take over, offering a whole new dimension to Hamlet without ever distorting its meaning.”
– Sylvie St-Jacques, Jeu, revue de théâtre
“The movement is clean and precise, the lines pure, in this setting where evocation is the main language shared by characters who embrace Shakespearean codes with brio and integrity. The virtuosity of the performers and their talent for acting make for a show that is both innovative and authentic.”
– Sylvie St-Jacques, Jeu, theatre magazine
“We are witnessing something that will go down in history. A two-hour show of non-stop extraordinary intensity. The cast is fabulous. The staging is brilliant, the choreography magnificent.”
– Carole Trempe, Journal des citoyens