---

[wolf_testimonials_start][wolf_testimonial_slide cite=”Les Gutman, CurtainUp / New York”]Markus Zohner Theater Compagnie’s two hander Ha!Hamlet is in a class by itself. Compressing but not reinventing the story of the Prince of Denmark, Zohner and his colleague, Patrizia Barbuiani, entertain us with an extravagant physical interpretation that goes well beyond a point where Shakespeare would have feared to tread. Both are brilliant physical comedians who work together (sometimes silently, sometimes with abundant self-generated sound effects and sometimes with words — in any language that seems handy, it seems) with the precision of a swiss clock. (They are from Lugano.) Zohner is sensational: seemingly in charge of every involuntary muscle in his body, whether it is the one controlling his eyeballs (which disappear when he plays The Ghost and appear frighteningly askew as Gertrude approaches death), the shape of his face or the configuration of the long fingers on his remarkably expressive hands. Their rendition of “Gonzago’s Murder” and of the confusion of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are by far my most memorable ever. This production included two things that are unusual at fringe: an intermission and (at the performance I attended) a standing ovation[/wolf_testimonial_slide][wolf_testimonials_end]

Hamlet – Content
Hamlet, prince of Denmark, a philosophy student at the University of Wit- temberg receives a message telling him about his father’s sudden death and his mother’s wedding with Claudius, who is his father’s brother, Hamlet’s uncle.
By marrying Hamlet’s mother Gertrud, Claudius becomes the new King of Denmark.
Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, and Bernardo, a guard, see the appearance of Hamlet’s father’s ghost on the tower of the castle of Helsingoer where the royal family lives.
Hamlet returns to Denmark.
[wolf_testimonials_start][wolf_testimonial_slide cite=”THE TIMES OF CENTRAL ASIA, Almaty / Kazakhstan”]There was absolutely no language gap between the performers and the audience, the majority of which was Russian speaking. HA!HAmlet found its way into the hearts of Kazakhstanis, opening a new dimension of Shakespeare’s classic and the theatre in general. [/wolf_testimonial_slide][wolf_testimonials_end]
In the mirrored hall, he complains about his father’s death and his mother’s marriage with his Uncle Claudius.
He enters the royal hall, where King Claudius and Queen Gertrud are giv- ing their greetings to the court. They ask Hamlet not to leave Denmark for Wittemberg. Hamlet agrees. Horatio visits his friend Hamlet in his private room and tells him about the appearance of his father’s ghost.
Hamlet asks details about the ghost and decides to visit the guards on the platform at midnight. Polonius, chancellor of The King, Laertes, his son, and Ophelia, his daughter, also live in the castle of Helsingoer.

Ophelia and Hamlet are in love. Laertes, before his departure abroad, visits his sister Ophelia to warn her about Hamlet’s approaches.
Polonius visits his daughter and tells her not to meet Hamlet anymore. Ophelia: «I shall obey, my lord».
Hamlet and Horatio climb the tower. The ghost appears.
It tells Hamlet to be his father’s ghost and narrates him having been mur- dered by his own brother, Claudius. The Ghost asks for revenge.
«Oh horrible, horrible, most horrible…»
After having met the ghost, Hamlet is very excited.
He pretends to be insane to cover his knowledge about the murder. Ophelia tells her father Polonius about Hamlet’s madness.
Polonius is sure that Hamlet is mad for love with Ophelia and decides to arrange a meeting between Hamlet and his daughter. The King and he could eavesdrop the conversation hidden behind a carpet.
He decides to tell King Claudius about his plans.
Walking along a corridor, he meets Hamlet- apparently mad.
Hamlet uses his «madness» to make Polonius look like a silly old man. Polonius communicates to Hamlet that a group of actors has arrived at The Castle. Hamlet decides to make the actors perform a mime play represent- ing his father’s murder.
Polonius leaves Hamlet to bring the news to King Claudius.
They decide to hide behind a carpet to listen to the encounter between Ophelia and Hamlet.
Hamlet, walking down the mirrored hall, thinks aloud. «To be or not to be…» Hamlet meets Ophelia in the garden.
He realizes that their meeting is listened to, and hides his sincere feelings. He pretends to be insane and tells her to leave Helsingoer and go to a
nunnery. King Claudius, having heard the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia, does not believe Hamlet is mad for love. He is sure that there is something more important behind his madness… Hamlet organizes a play in the Royal Hall.
The actors arrive and, on Hamlet’s suggestion, perform a pantomime called «Gonzago’s Murder».
In the moment the King discovers how the play is similar to his own deed, he interrupts the performance.
For Hamlet this is proof that his uncle is guilty.
INTERMISSION / PAUSE
Hamlet visits his mother: Polonius had arranged a meeting, hiding himself behind a curtain in order to secretly hear the conversation. Hamlet, hearing a noise behind the curtain, kills Polonius believing it is King Claudius. Queen Gertrud hurries to bring the news of Polonius’s murder to her husband.
King Claudius believes himself in danger and orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to bring Hamlet to England; along with a note for The King of England to kill Hamlet upon arrival.
Laertes, Polonius’s son, has received the message of his father’s death and returns to Denmark.
The people of Denmark stand up and want Laertes as King.
King Claudius reveals to Laertes that Polonius has been murdered by Ham- let. In the meanwhile, Ophelia, beaten by Hamlet’s insanity and her father’s sudden death, goes insane and commits suicide.