"Words, words, words,鈥� Hamlet replies when asked what he鈥檚 reading. But Shakespeare鈥檚 brooding soliloquist finds himself stripped of words and solely relying on movement in The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, a new dance-theatre adaptation by director Robert Lepage and choreographer Guillaume C么t茅, who stars in the title role. Following its acclaimed world premiere in Toronto last spring and an engagement at Le Festivalul Interna葲ional Shakespeare in Craiova, Romania, the production makes its U.S. premiere at Chicago鈥檚 Harris Theater for Music and Dance, with three performances, November 23鈥�24.
Hamlet has been a milestone role for actors across the centuries, from David Garrick to Laurence Olivier, Kenneth Branagh to Paapa Essiedu鈥攑lus such formidable female artists as Sarah Siddons, Sarah Bernhardt, and Michelle Terry. Now it鈥檚 C么t茅鈥檚 turn. A principal dancer and choreographic associate of the National Ballet of Canada, who is retiring in June 2025 after 26 years with the company, C么t茅 observes, 鈥淗amlet is not the type of hero that I鈥檓 used to portraying in classical ballet, such as Romeo or Siegfried. He鈥檚 way more multi-layered. His judgment is very ego-driven.鈥�
The production is a collaboration between the dance company he founded, C么t茅 Danse, Lepage鈥檚 multidisciplinary company, Ex Machina, Dvoretsky Productions, and presenting partner Show One Productions. One of Canada鈥檚 leading theatre artists, Lepage鈥檚 international career has spanned plays, operas, and films, including work as a director for Cirque du Soleil and the Metropolitan Opera. Hamlet marks the second time C么t茅 and Lepage have worked together, following the National Ballet of Canada鈥檚 production of Frame by Frame in 2018.
Shakespeare鈥檚 text explores a range of themes, from mental health and grief to palace intrigue. For C么t茅, Hamlet鈥檚 introspectiveness and inaction are especially resonant. 鈥淐oming to it in this stage in my life,鈥� he shares, 鈥淚 can identify with what someone like Hamlet is doing, which is ruminating on a problem that they are unwilling to act on, and because they鈥檙e not acting on it, they create more problems.鈥� C么t茅 and his colleagues also found that the medium of dance offers fresh perspectives on the play鈥檚 family dynamics, romantic relationships, and even Hamlet鈥檚 soliloquies. 鈥淚t was very interesting to see how, actually, we had a lot of tools to tell a story that鈥檚 deprived of its words, but not deprive of its meaning, deprived of its passion, of the emotions and the dramaturgical twists and turns,鈥� says Lepage.
John Gzowski, a musician who has worked across theatre, dance, and film, composed the score for the two-hour production. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very classically based in the sense that it鈥檚 so respectful of the classical roots of the piece, but it kind of takes off into a more contemporary fashion,鈥� remarks Lepage. 鈥淚t鈥檚 minimal in the sense that he uses few instruments, but the instruments he does use are quite strong,鈥� adds C么t茅, 鈥渇rom electric guitar to harpsichord to hurdy-gurdy, a traditional Elizabethan instrument.鈥� The choreography also blends classical and contemporary styles to showcase the individual strengths of cast members. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all my choreography, so it still has a background of classicism,鈥� says C么t茅.
But he notes, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not forcing someone into my form. It鈥檚 me working my form with the people I have at hand.鈥� Lukas Malkowski, who portrays Laertes, has a background in street dance, so his movements blend this mode with classical steps to give the character a grounded feel. Greta Hodgkinson, a retired principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada, plays Hamlet鈥檚 mother, Gertrude. Now in her 50s, she brings 鈥渁 presence and a way of moving that is quite gestural,鈥� relates C么t茅.
In his career as a director, Lepage has built a reputation for epic visuals and innovative uses of technology. When he staged Wagner鈥檚 Ring cycle at the Metropolitan Opera, the centerpiece of the set was a 90,000-pound apparatus of rotating aluminum beams enhanced by three-dimensional projections that adjusted to sound and movement in real time.
Although he takes a different approach for Hamlet, Lepage thinks audiences will recognize his visual style. 鈥淭here鈥檚 absolutely no technology besides the good old traditional technology of theatre,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no video work. For a dance piece, there are a lot of props, furniture, and drapes, but it鈥檚 not this big set like you鈥檇 have in classical dance shows. There鈥檚 not an element on stage that doesn鈥檛 have a secondary or tertiary use. We鈥檙e in a poetic environment and we use it to its maximum.鈥� As the company prepares to bring the show to the U.S., Lepage is pleased that Chicago is their destination. 鈥淐hicago鈥檚 a great art town. It has a great dance scene, great orchestra, great opera. I鈥檓 very happy and very honored to get to perform at the Harris. It鈥檚 the perfect space and perfect venue for what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
