Roz and Guild: What Shakespeare Missed... BIG TIME

Soulpepper has begun their 2013 season with a brilliant play by Tom Stoppard. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1966) is the piece of Hamlet Shakespeare missed. It's a comic masterpiece that follows Roz and Guild, two minor characters in Hamlet, as they wait to be summoned to the Danish court and then later this English King. It's intellectual writing weaves wonderfully through the pitiful story we know as Hamlet.

But the great this is, YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HAMLET! I personally haven't cracked open my copy of Hamlet for five years, so I was relying on my Lion King knowledge to help me out; and I understood and followed the story perfectly. It's because Stoppard detracted the importance on Hamlet to Roz and Guild, so really it's a whole new story for audiences whether they are Hamlet fanatics or not. 

Joseph Ziegler's direction of this piece of theatre was evident with his wonderful style. Ziegler lead the the ship of this creation splendidly. Ted Dykstra and Jordan Pettle played the leading men. These actors played such great opposites with one being a bit more intellectual than the other and one being a little more carefree than the other. Dykstra played such an open role and was a pleasure to watch even when he was just listening to the craziness of the other characters. Pettle seemed like he approached his role the way his character naturally is, intellectually and dynamically. He was open and pleasure to listen to. Is was also great to be in the presence of Nancy Palk and Diego Matamoros once again, as they played Gertrude and Claudius. Kenneth Welsh and his group of traveling gypsy actor were the party of the show and added such a great tone to the performance. 

The stage was in the round and the set was mobile, allowing for me to feel as if I was part of Roz and Guild's world which had a reminisces feel of Beckett's Waiting for Godot. 

Speaking of Waiting for Godot, the play had that existential quality to it, dealing with the fate of these poor laughable characters, along with the confusion and oddity. 

If you want to get tickets, please do because it is a must see! Soulpepper has added three new performances, extending the run for your viewing pleasure!

Soulpepper

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If you have seen it, comment here to tell me how you enjoyed it! :)

With love, 

Lisa