There isn’t much I can say here about Shakespearean productions that hasn’t already been said – they stand the test of time, they can be interpreted in a thousand entirely valid ways, and they definitely make you feel a little bit cleverer each time you see one. Instead, I’ll use this brief intro to extoll the virtues of stage on screen productions, because as far as artistic innovations go, I don’t think there has been another in recent years more successful in allowing Shakespeare to reach the masses – to whom his work has always truly belonged.

Of course, even with such familiarity, every so often there is still a new interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s works that brings about fresh excitement, such as Sean Matias’ new staging of perhaps his most beloved play. In a production that takes age blind casting to another level with eighty-four-year-old Sir Ian McKellen as Hamlet, a character typically theorised to be thirty or younger, Hamlet has been reimagined once again. Using each room and space of the Theatre Royal Windsor to depict Elsinore Castle, this is a play that utilises the cinematic dimensions of the stage and screen format brilliantly, creating a hybrid that couldn’t be replicated in your average production.

This is a truly unique take on Hamlet that places one of the most beloved British actors in history at its centre, so make sure you book your ticket soon – like many of the best shows, this event is one night, and one night only.

Hamlet is on 27th February

Showtimes & Tickets: https://dukeslancaster.org/wha...