The play Hamlet Conference, an adatpation of Shakespeare's classic with a technological twist by Kuwaiti director Suleiman Al Bassam, was performed by an English troupe at Carthage Theatrical Days Festival.
It was a new type of work, since the usual thing has been a Western director for an Arab cast, but this time it was the other way around.
The director is an Kuwaiti and the performance was in English, with a dose of modern Arab vision.
The play is a technological version of Shakespeare’s play that blends action and documentary work with unique music.
The theme is based on the script of Hamlet, who attempts to retaliate for his father’s death, and so he lives all his life hesitating.
It is possible that the Kuwaiti director based his theme on the hesitation, which characterizes all the play's characters, in an attempt to express certain intellectual dimension that touch similar Arab attitudes.
Bassam drew the basic dramatic elements from Shakespeare’s text. The characters came with a modern vision, but the director added to them other characters, including the female arms dealer and other characters representing Arab leaders.
Bassam seated all these characters on platforms to issue their resolutions in the conference, which is held for the sake of Hamlet.
The play, through the faithful performance of the actors, managed to incorporate the basic vision, which is hesitation, witnessed by Shakespeare’s characters and today’s Hamlet characters. Despite the use of modern technology, the state of hesitation by the contemporary characters was emphasized.
The director aimed at linking this case with the present situation by selecting characters with Arab costumes and portraying them as excited and enthusiastic characters who agree on what the ruler tells them, and applaud whoever rules them – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
