Shakespeare’s tragedy of revenge and betrayal, Hamlet, is reimagined by Bogan Shakespeare Productions in Denmark, WA, where lust for The Crown (pub) drives men to murder, mums to marry and sons to revenge. In a fast-paced 60 minutes, we zip through the five acts of Shakespeare’s longest work in accessible language, with relatable stereotypes garnished with tinnies, Tim Tams and thongs.
Hamlet, a media communications student, returns home to attend his father’s wake only to find his mother has married his uncle Claudius, who is also suspected of murdering Hamlet’s father. Hamlet is accompanied by his ‘friend’ (wink wink) Horatio, for emotional support, much to the chagrin of Ophelia, who is not shy about her intentions with Hamlet.
In setting Shakespeare’s classic in a more relatable context, it is doubtless easier to understand. And mercifully, the Bogan Shakespeare team has made an effort to modernise the more problematic aspects of the story – the latent misogyny that renders all female characters more as plot devices rather than actual people. In this version, Hamlet’s mum is an entrepreneur who has been secretly supporting his studies while his dad’s pub has been hemorrhaging money.
Meanwhile, Ophelia fakes her own death to escape a town where no one has taken her seriously, in order to pursue a life in the city. The creepy Oedipal subtext of Hamlet’s relationship with his mother is done away with entirely by reimagining Hamlet as a queer man with a loving relationship with his mum instead of the angsty incel of Shakespeare’s time.
It’s fast-paced enough to not get boring and, for the right audience, there are enough giggles to keep them entertained. However, the operative phrase is ‘the right audience’ – half the comedy is satirical, and therefore relies on a basic understanding of the meaning of Shakespeare’s original work. The other half of the comedy is simply poking fun at bogan stereotypes. It’s confusing as to what Bogan Shakespeare is trying to achieve here – my initial assumption was that this was an attempt to make Shakespeare accessible.
However, it relies too heavily on a prior understanding of the Bard to achieve that goal. And the poking fun at bogan stereotypes is probably alienating to the very audience who may need Shakespeare to be made accessible. I can’t see such a production inspiring new love for Shakespeare, since the genius of his work has never been about the simple events that unfold. It is about multiple layered meanings, which are depicted in the language, not the action. If you want to get really meta, the irony is that Shakespeare’s work was pretty bogan in the context of his time. His comedy was slapstick and his plays were crowd-pleasers – not the high art we regard it as now.
Read: Theatre review: The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven
The thing Bogan Shakespeare Productions has got right is keeping the production short and tight, lest the one-tone joke about bogan stereotypes feels too basic. And energetic and enthusiastic performances make it easy for the audience to go along for the ride. If you’re rusty on Hamlet, I highly recommend quickly skimming SparkNotes for a refresher to get the most out of this production… but if you don’t manage, it’s short and fun enough to enjoy without.
Hamlet, Bogan Shakespeare Productions
Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA
Tickets: $35
Hamlet will be performed until 29 January 2023 as part of Perth Fringe World.
