


I very much looked forward to seeing this performance. HAMLET CAMP features three of our first finest actors; Brendan Cowell, Ewen Leslie and Toby Schmitz. The premise to the show is that each of the three actors has played the role of Hamlet, one of the most coveted roles in the world of theatre.
The show proved to be very entertaining, and was played at a super fast pace.
The structure. The show featured three parts. Three poems, in a rap style, describing their youth and of their acting journey. The biggest part was when they got together for their Hamlet Camp, which was essentially an actor’s boot camp. For a much appreciated break from the all the male energy on stage there was a poetic, sensual dance sequence, appropriately titled the Ophelia dance, presented by Claudia Haines-Cappeau.
The show was performed in the round which worked really well. It went for ninety minutes without interval, and was performed in a super fast pace. Plenty of humour. Very playful, fun tone. Jokes. Do you want a danish?!
There were some interesting anecdotes. It is well known within the arts community thatSchmitz is the son of a woman, simply named Elizabeth, who has been a book dealer since 1973, specialising in second hand books. Even this time of the internet, with most book stores having disappeared off the scene, she still has a flagship bookstore on King street in Newtown. Schmitz regaled us with stories about his encounters with eccentric encounters.
During the show, the trio do have their targets. Directors come in for a bollocking. As they are each independent spirits, they clearly don’t enjoy someone else being in control.
Another target was the solo productions where an actor/actress performs a classic play wherein they play all the roles. They do have a point.
With the play, the craft of acting, in many guises, is under the spotlight. Of particular interest were the scenes describing the very draining way that actors have to work with different camera angles in film and television.
At the opening night after party Cowell described the show as a ,’bonkers love letter to the theatre’. An apt description.
A caveat. The title is a little misleading. The actors do not say that much about their thoughts and feelings about playing Hamlet. Well, not that I picked up.
HAMLET CAMP is playing Carriageworks until the 25th January 2025.
Production photography by Daniel Boud