Media Release September 2013

Belvoir presents By William Shakespeare Director Simon Stone Set Designer Ralph Myers Costume Designer Mel Page Composer & Sound Designer Stefan Gregory

With Emily Barclay Thomas Campbell Nathan Lovejoy Robyn Nevin Anthony Phelan Toby Schmitz Greg Stone

Belvoir St Theatre | Upstairs 12 October – 1 December 2013

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The play’s the thing…

Every generation feels the irresistible compulsion to attempt to stage this, the greatest play by the greatest playwright. Every new production becomes a strange mirror of the play itself: a new Hamlet encounters the ghost of an old Hamlet and puts on a play in order to find out how to really become Hamlet. It takes the perfect combination of director and leading man to tackle this perennial conundrum – to face up to the ghosts and plunge into the thing itself with clear eyes.

Director Simon Stone is ruthless and visionary in his pursuit of the essential in a text. Surprisingly, this is the first time Stone has tackled Shakespeare. Despite (or perhaps because) being a huge enthusiast of the Bard’s work.

Toby Schmitz (Private Lives, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead ) is one of the great actors of his generation: quick, droll and fiendishly sharp. Hamlet is the natural next step in his theatrical partnership with Stone. Emily Barclay (Strange Interlude) will play Ophelia with the brave commitment to character for which she is so admired. Theatrical royalty Robyn Nevin () and John Gaden (The Seagull) are Danish royalty as Gertrude and Claudius, with Greg Stone (Babyteeth) as the clownish Polonius and Anthony Phelan (Strange Interlude) as the ghost of old Hamlet. Thomas Campbell (Downton Abbey) and Nathan Lovejoy (This Year’s Ashes Griffin Theatre Company) make their Belvoir debuts as Laertes/Guildenstern and Rosencrantz respectively.

This production puts a powerhouse cast in a room with an iconoclastic and incisive director and one of the greatest scripts of all time. Even we don’t know what will come out the other side.

For media information contact publicist Elly Michelle Clough [email protected] | 02 8396 6242 | 0407 163 921

Media Release September 2013

Notes for Editors Season information Dates 12 October – 1 December Previews Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 October Opening night Wednesday 16 October Wednesday Matinee 2pm 20 November Captioned Performance 2pm Saturday 23 November Sunday Forum 3pm 24 November Unwaged Performance Thursday 28 November Times Tuesday 6.30pm | Wednesday to Friday 8pm | Saturday 2pm & 8pm | Sunday 5pm Tickets Full $65 | Seniors/Industry/Group $55 | Concession $45 Venue Belvoir St Theatre | 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills Bookings 02 9699 3444 or belvoir.com.au