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Hamlet – in Craiova, Romania
By William Shakespeare
In repertory at the Teatrul Naţional “Marin Sorescu” in Craiova, Romania.
After the success of their 2022 production of Oedipus, Declan and Nick have returned to Craiova, Romania to premiere a new production of Hamlet. This marks the second collaboration between our Artistic Directors and the ensemble of the Teatrul Naţional “Marin Sorescu,” and reaffirms Cheek by Jowl’s strong and long-standing relationship with Romanian artists and audiences.
This production opened on 22 February 2024 and will remain in repertoire at the National Theatre – you can find more information about upcoming performances and tickets here.
Before Hamlet and Oedipus, Cheek by Jowl had been invited to perform in Craiova on several occasions over the past thirty years, with productions such as As You Like It, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, and Measure for Measure.
Cast
| Vlad Udrescu | Hamlet |
| Claudiu Mihail | Claudius |
| Ramona Drăgulescu | Gertrude |
| Raluca Păun | Polonius |
| Flavia Hojda | Ophelia |
| Theodora Bălan | Ophelia |
| Alex Stoicescu | Laertes |
| Eugen Titu | Ghost |
| Cătălin Vieru | Rosencrantz |
| Darko Huruială | Guildenstern |
| Marian Politic | Actor |
| Angel Rababoc | Actor |
| Costinela Ungureanu | Actor |
| Mircea Mogoșeanu | Guard |
| Mihnea Presură | Guard |
Creative Team
| Director | Declan Donnellan |
| Designer | Nick Ormerod |
| Romanian Translation by | George Volceanov |
| Assistant Director | Laurențiu Tudor |
| Assistant Designers | Adelina Galiceanu, Gloria Bucătaru |
| Music | Tibor Cári |
Press
“Hundreds of times many people, myself included, have written this, but I can only repeat it once again: Declan Donnellan knows some essential secret about how to make theatre feel alive.
If you were to watch his new Hamlet born at the National Theatre of Craiova meticulously, with the eyes of a cold analyst, then you would probably just shrug your shoulders, for the production doesn’t answer any of the “eternal” questions, it doesn’t present you with a concept, it is not proving to be “requisite” or “topical” in “these tragic times”…So then, why is it exactly that all you want to do at the end is rush back to watch it all again as soon as possible? Because it is alive. Though this is a great tragedy almost imprinted in gold on a stone, the blood that runs through this production’s veins is warm.
Donnellan knew and still knows better than most how to combine sensibility and elegance in theatre. He does it in such a way that you keep thinking about yourself, even though nobody is going to shame you from the stage, push you, nobody is calling you to account, nobody is even trying to impress you. Donnellan is irreproachably delicate but yet, at the same time, resolute. Everything here is simple, darting, pulsating, breathing and nothing is superfluous.
It is not about power, revenge and not even about blood. It is about fate, a stream of events that cannot be controlled by people. “To be or not to be” is said by Hamlet at the very beginning of the show – and all the characters burst into applause. The finale is performed in silence. Horatio, one of the main characters is completely cut. “What have you done to Horatio?” – I had to ask the director after the show. He waved me off with “The audience is Horatio”. Well yes, it is Horatio and Fortinbras (also cut) whom Hamlet trusts to tell the world his story. Horatio is the witness to the story, and the characters in the play keep asking us the audience for our silent support. So what can we do? We must pass the story on. And we do so with delight.” Roman Doljanskiy, Theatre Critic
Production Images
Albert Dobrin